THE ILONGOT OR IBILAO OF LUZON 537 



regular shape like a ray of lightning; many were bunches of shavings, 

 singularly suggestive of the prayer sticks of the Ainu. 



The language of the Ilongot is predominantly Malayan. It con- 

 tains a large bulk of words identical or related to the surrounding 

 Malayan tongues. There are a few Sanskrit or Indian words, " pagi " 

 (palay, " paddy," the unhulled rice) and " pana " for arrow, both 

 words widely diffused in Malaysia. But besides, there is a doubtful 

 element which does not seem to be Malayan; at least no similar words 

 or roots occur in any of the other vocabularies of primitive peoples of 

 northern Luzon collected by me. The Ilongot continually makes use 

 of a short ii, which sometimes becomes the German sound u as in 

 " buh duk," a flower. These sounds can not be imitated by the Chris- 

 tian people in contact with them. This is a condition similar to what 

 we find in Negrito speech, where, with a preponderance of terms occur- 

 ring in Malayan languages, are often a number of totally distinct and 

 usually eccentric words and sounds. 



Finally, it is manifest that the Ilongot are a problem to the govern- 

 ment of the islands. What is to be done with such people as these? 

 They can not be allowed to continue, as they have done, to harass and 

 murder the peaceful population of Nueva Ecija, northern Pangasinan 

 and Nueva Vizcaya. Some means must be found to restrain them. 

 Humanity does not permit their extermination. Steps are now being 

 taken to do something to get them in hand. The exploring parties 

 above referred to have opened the way. The communities organized 

 under teachers of the Bureau of Education seem to promise something 

 as well. Last fall when I left the islands search was being made for 

 the right sort of an American teacher to put in charge of school inter- 

 ests at Baler, with jurisdiction over the Ilongot villages appurtenant 

 thereto. The people of Patakgao since my visit have accepted an invi- 

 tation, then made, to send their young men and boys to the barrio of 

 San Juan, a village in the mountains back of Pantabangan, where a 

 school is conducted and where several of these youth are now living in 

 charge of a native man in whom the Ilongot have confidence. The 

 Bureau of Education meets the slight expenses of this educational 

 experiment. This work of social development, here as in a thousand 

 similar places in the Philippines, will be best done by the American 

 teacher, but the task is inviting only to the man in whom the spirit of 

 youth and adventure and fascination with human problems runs strong. 



Mr. Murphy's last report concluded, " I believe the schools can do 

 these people a great amount of good and solve the government's worst 

 problems. The work, however, is dangerous, as the man who under- 

 takes it has no protection but his own diplomacy in handling the 

 people. If trouble comes it will be from the young bucks, desirous 

 of gaining a reputation." 



vol. lxxvii.— 37. 



