532 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS [voL. 48 
sense, for among the Tagbanuas slavery scarcely signifies anything 
in comparison with that of the Moros, where the slave is a being 
despised and where the masters are owners of the lives and proper- 
ties of their slaves. On the contrary, the slaves of the Tagbanuas 
are like free men. In the majority of cases it is their privilege to 
obey or refuse to do the mandates of their masters. There have 
been cases of this kind in which the master desired a certain thing 
should be done and in which his slave answered that he did not feel ° 
so inclined. 
I myself have frequently been present at scenes of a similar nature. 
For this reason, without the fear of being mistaken I would say the 
government of this people is patriarchial. 
Or THE DUTIES OF THE BABAILAN, His DouBLE FUNCTION AS THE 
MINISTER AND THE PHYSICIAN OF THE TRIBE, AND HIS 
INFLUENCE UPON THE PEOPLE 
The babailan of the rancheria, whether man or woman, is re- 
garded as a sacred and privileged being, the representative of Diwata. 
When some epidemic, or contagious disease afflicts the people they 
hasten to the babailan and beg him to intercede with Diwata that 
he remove from their midst the evil which is assailing them. Then 
the people will congregate in a certain place designated by the 
babailan and to this place will take various gifts and perform the 
religious ceremony which has been previously described. 
When a man, woman or child becomes ill the family of the patient 
will hasten to the babailan who is famous as a doctor. They will 
beseech him to do them the favor of curing the sick one. After 
having examined the patient he will command the musical instru- 
ments to be brought to the house. When the first hour of the night 
has come, skilled musicians “vill play upon these the sabag. To 
the sound of this the babailan, if a woman, will dance the tarec; 
if a man, the quendar. During the dance the babailan will attain 
a state of frenzy, while.all about him are quiet, regarding the act 
with great attention and respect. When the dance is finished, the 
babailan being restored to a normal condition, will declare to the 
family of the sick the disease with which he is afflicted, the sickness, 
as they imagine, being attributed to witchcraft or some other gross 
superstition. As has been stated when discussing the religious rites, 
no manner of'cure is begun before the invocation to the Diwata. 
The following morning the babailan will secretly prepare the medi- 
cines, usually the roots and leaves of trees. 
