96 THE MANOBOS OF MINDANAO— GARVAN [MEMO fr 9 J? xxm, 



MINING 



Mining is confined to the Hibung River and its tributaries, to the Wa-wa River, and to the 

 Taligaman district, a few hours' walk to the southeast of Butudn. It is a desultory occupation 

 followed more at the request of Bisaya traders, or in fulfillment of a contract, than out of any 

 desire for gold. 



The time selected is usually after a flood. The gold is washed out with a circular, hollow, 

 wooden pan. 1 The operation has an established religious procedure which must be followed if 

 one wishes to be successful in the acquisition of the gold. The theory is as follows: The gold 

 is the property of a gold spirit, whose place in the Manobo pantheon I can not state. To enter 

 upon his domains and to remove the ore which is his without feasting him and making him a 

 present of a living victim for a future repast would provoke his wrath and result in failure to 

 obtain the object of the search. Hence the leader of the miners upon arrival at themining 

 ground turns loose a white fowl and kills a white pig in honor of the gold spirit. He also presents 

 to the spirit leaf packages of boiled native rice. The mining operations then begin, but the 

 peculiar feature of the whole procedure is that the rice packages are purchased from the leader at 

 the rate of 1 hu-len-tds-on 2 for two packages. Noise and merriment are interdicted during the 

 mining operations as being displeasing to the gold spirit, but if, upon infringement of this taboo, 

 further oblations of rice are made to him he resumes his good humor and permits the gold to be 

 found. 



I found these beliefs to be held as far over as the upper T&go River, on the eastern side of the 

 Pacific Cordillera. 



PLAITING AND OTHER ACTIVITIES 



The plaiting and braiding of such objects as arm and leg ligatures out of nito or other vege- 

 table fiber nearly always falls to the lot of the women. The plaiting of baskets out of rattan, as 

 well as the making of fish traps and pack baskets, is generally a male occupation. 



The process of basket making is fairly simple. A more or less cylindrical, solid piece of wood 

 with flat bottom and top forms the mold upon which the strips of rattan are interlaced. A 

 circular band of bamboo strengthens the upper rim, a coating of the pulp of the seed of the tahon- 

 tdbon fills up the crevices and makes the basket almost perfectly water-tight. 



Pack baskets that are used for carrying game and for general utility on long voyages are of 

 the open wickerwork description. 



I know of only two Man6bo blacksmiths in the whole of Man6boland. They learned the 

 trade from Bisayas and produce bolos much like the Bis&ya or Bohol type seen in the Agusan 

 Valley. Here and there one meets a Manobo who understands how to beat out a fish spear or a 

 fishhook, or to make a crude pipe, but, with these exceptions, the Man6bo knows nothing of 

 steel or iron work. 



As to the decoration, it is manifest from what has been said that he can do simple but 

 creditable work. The ornaments on bamboo tubes, combs, baskets, and certain other things 

 are evidences of his skill. So are the tattoo and embroidery designs described in a previous 

 chapter. 



FEMALE INDUSTRIES IN DETAIL 



WEAVING AND ITS ACCESSORY PROCESSES 



Abakd fiber is stripped by men and delivered to the womenfolk. The women pound it for a 

 long time in a wooden mortar to soften it, then patiently tie strand to strand, placing it carefully 

 in small hollow baskets, where it is free from danger of entangling. Sand is often sprinkled on it 

 as a further means of preventing tangling. 



Cotton yarn is prepared from the native plant by means of a very primitive spindle, which 

 consists of a small rod of wood at the end of which is a top-shaped piece of the same material 



1 Bi-ling-an. 



1 Ku-len-tdS'On are said to weigh one-half of the gold piece that was in circulation in the Philippine Islands, in pre- American days, and which 

 was valued at 12J$ cents United States currency. 



