34 THE MANOBOS OF MINDANAO— GARVAN [MEM0 ™ £ x§3.n, 



boys than by consulting the older folks. This tendency to disguise or to distort the truth, though 

 it has its natural basis in a desire for self-protection, gives the Manobos a reputation for lack of 

 that straightforwardness and frankness that is so noticeable among the Mandayas, even after 

 very short acquaintance. This lack of frankness, coupled with a certain amount of natural 

 shrewdness, makes the truth difficult to discover, unless the suggestion made before be carried 

 out, or unless one is willing to wait till the truth leaks out in private conversation among the 

 Manobos themselves. 



One trait of the Manobo that seems hard to understand is his love for long discussions. 

 No matter how trifling the matter may be, it always becomes the subject of an inordinately long 

 conference even though there are no dissenting parties. Even in such trifles as getting a guide to 

 take me, by well-known trails, to settlements of people with whom I was well acquainted, the inevi- 

 table discussion would always take place. A great number of people would assemble. The 

 matter would be discussed at length by every one present without a single interruption, except 

 such exclamations of assent as are continuously uttered whether the speaker's views are accept- 

 able or not. It seems that these and more solemn discussions afford the speakers an opportunity 

 to make themselves conspicuous or to display their judgment. I can divine no other reason 

 for these conferences because, in many cases that I have known, the result of the discussion was 

 a foregone conclusion from the beginning. Perhaps such discussions are for the purpose of 

 "making no concessions" or if they must be made, of making them begrudgingly. 



These conferences are as a rule rather noisy, for though one speaker at a time ''has the floor," 

 there are always a number of collateral discussions, that, joined to the invariable household 

 sounds, produce somewhat of a din. Noise, in fact, is a general characteristic of Manobo life, 

 so much so that at times one is inclined to be alarmed at the loud yelling and other demonstrations 

 of apparent excitement, even though the occasion for it all may be nothing more than the arrival 

 in the settlement of a visitor with a dead monkey. 



Harmony and domestic happiness are characteristic of the Manobo family. The Manobo is 

 devoted to his wife, fond of his children, and attached to his relatives, more so than the Mang- 

 guangan, but much less so than the Bisaya or the Mandaya. He is dearly fond of social gather- 

 ings for, besides the earthly comforts that he gets out of them, they afford him an opportunity 

 to display such wealth, rank, and possessions as he may possess. His invitations to neighbors 

 serve to keep him high in their estimation and thereby gather around him a number of friends 

 who will be of service in the hour of trouble. Of the Manobo, as of the other people of Min- 

 danao, too much can not be said of his hospitality. If he has once overcome his suspicions as to 

 a stranger's motives, he takes him into his house and puts himself to infinite pains to feast him as 

 best he knows how. In Manoboland one who travels carries no provisions. He drops into the 

 first house and when the meal hour arrives he sits down upon the floor and helps himself without 

 any invitation. It is practically his own house, because for the time being he becomes one of the 

 family. If there happens to be a feast, he partakes without any special invitation, and when he 

 is ready to go, he proceeds upon his journey, only to repeat the operation in the next house, for 

 it is customary always to pay at least a short visit to every friendly house on or near the trail. 



One of the mental traits that has perhaps done more than anything else to retard the Mano- 

 bo in his progress towards a higher plane of civilization is his firm adherence to traditional 

 customs. All things must be done as his forefathers did them. Innovations of any kind may 

 displease the deities, may disturb the present course of events, may produce future disturbances. 

 "Let the river flow as it ever flowed — to the sea, " is a refrain that I heard quoted on this subject 

 by Man6bos. "Fish that live in the sea do not live in the mountains, " is another, and there are 

 many others, all illustrating that conservatism that tends to keep the Manobo a Manobo and 

 nothing else. He is Christianized but, after going through the Christian ritual, he will probably 

 invoke his pagan divinities. He takes on something new but does not relinquish the old. 

 Hence the difficulty of inducing the Man6bo to leave the district of his forefathers, and take up 

 his abode in a new place amid unfamiliar spirits. 



This feature of their character explains the inconstancy and fickleness exhibited by the 

 Christianized Manobos at the beginning of their conversion. These were due to the call of the 



