academv or sciences] WAR ITg ORIGIN, INCEPTION, ETC. 151 



of the house, if it is low enough. They then retire and by listening and questioning ascertain 

 whether any of the inmates still survive. If any remain alive they are to surrender. 



When, however, the settlement is a large one, consisting of one or more high houses, the matter 

 is a more difficult one. The aggressors advance to the house and if the floor is out of reach of 

 their lances one or more of the bolder ones may quietly climb up the posts and after dispatching 

 one or more of the inmates with a few thrusts hurriedly slide down to the ground. Then the war 

 cry is called out to increase the consternation that has begun to reign in the house. If the enemy 

 is known to have a large stock of arrows the aggressors retire and allow them to expend part of 

 their supply. 



No unnecessary risks are taken in fighting. When the male portion of the enemy are 

 considered capable of making a stand, the house is not approached but a battle of arrows takes 

 place, the aggressois advancing to entice the enemy to shoot, while their bowmen, usually only a 

 few in number, reply. During all this time there is a bandying of hot words, threats, and impre- 

 cations on both sides. "I'll have your hair," "I'll eat your fiver," "I'll sacrifice your son," "Your 

 wife will get my water," are a few of the expressions that are used. The drum and gong in the 

 house may be beaten all this time as a signal of distress to call such relatives or friends as may 

 live within hearing distance. The priestesses of the attacked party may go through a regular 

 sacrifice if there is a chicken or a pig in the house, beseeching their deities to protect them in this 

 the hour of danger. 



When the arrows of the enemy are thought to be expended, the attacking party try by means 

 of a burning arrow to fire the roof. Should this succeed, the inmates are doomed, for when they 

 escape from the house the enemy close in upon them, and kill with lances or bolos, men and women, 

 whether married or single. As a rule, only the children are spared. 



Should the roof, however, fail to catch fire another means of attack is employed. Putting 

 their shields upon their heads in a formation much like the old Roman testudo, they advance to 

 the house in bodies of four or six and begin to hack down the posts. But here again they may be 

 foiled, for it has happened that the inmates of the house were provided with a supply of big 

 stones, or had a little boiling water on hand, and made their opponents retire out of fear of the 

 arrows that would be sure to follow when the stones had broken the arrangement of their shields. 

 Moreover, the ordinary Man6bo, who has lived in expectation of an attack sooner or later, has 

 his house set on a number of posts varying from 12 to 20. No little time would be required to cut 

 these and the aggressors would be in danger of receiving wounds and thereby bringing the attack 

 to an end, for it is the invariable practice for the party to retire after one of its members has been 

 wounded or slain. The reason for this custom I am unable to state. There occurred on the 

 Argawan in 1907 an instance which I verified, and in the various accounts of Manobo fighting 

 that I received all over the Agusan Valley, there were numerous instances of the observance of 

 this custom. 



In besieging the house, which may not be captured for several days, either firewood, food, or 

 water may give out quickly, and the besieged succumb to hunger, or to thirst. In their last 

 extremity they make a dash for liberty, especially during the night, and, though many of them 

 fall victims, not a few frequently save themselves. 



Sometimes, I was told, the besieged rush forward and meet death fighting. Again the men 

 are said to kill their wives and children with their own hands, and then to go forth to meet the 

 enemy. Father Urios, S. J., makes mention of a case of this kind. 



As to the number of slain, and of captives, it depends on the size of the settlement. In an 

 instance which I verified on the Hulip River, upper Agusan, some 190 souls perished in one 

 attack. Though this number seems large, yet it goes to show that on occasions raids are made on 

 a somewhat larger scale than might be expected. 



As each one of the attacking party strikes down the victim that falls in his way he notifies 

 his companions of the fact by a fierce yell, calling out at the same time the name of bis victim. 

 This is to avoid disputes later and to secure the credit for the killing. Though the killing of a 

 woman does not entitle the warrior to any special title, yet it adds one to his glory list and is sup- 

 posed to make him more apt to fall into the favor of a war deity. It is said that in the confusion 



