VENTURELLO] MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF TAGBANUAS 535 
to rob can utilize them. The burial of the poor is very simple. 
The custom, however, of placing upon the graves certain objects 
and provisions is indispensable; and if in life the being had no 
more than one suit of wearing apparel and a few things, it is very 
necessary that these must go with him. Today these customs are 
fast disappearing. My frequent tradings and long residence with 
this people induce me to think that it would not be difficult to civilize 
and educate them. Many Tagbanuas of both sexes have proved 
this. In the barrio of Inagahuan are Tagbanuas whose mode of 
living and ability to speak Tagalo and Cuyono can scarcely be dis- 
tinguished from those of the Christians themselves. 
The only art worth mentioning is the weaving. The women weave 
the cafia-bujo, bejuco, and a small fiber with which they make 
small baskets, and large and small tampipes, which are telescoped 
baskets and take the place of a valise or trunk. With bejuco they 
weave the wide petates which are known as paypay and used for 
palay and other domestic purposes. Of the small, fine fiber the 
women of the north make the cases for cigarettes, buyo, etc. The 
Tagbanuas and especially the Palawanos of the southern part of the 
island, weave of the leaf of the bori, pandan, bancuang, and balasan, 
petates of various colors, although they are not as beautiful as those 
woven by the Moros of Cagayan. The Palawanos of the south 
weave a petate of bejuco of the best quality, split in two and 
one side painted black. This weaving is known among them as 
biday among the Cuyonos and Tagalos as biray. This petate 
is valued among the Filipinos and is used in some places as a carpet, 
and among the Tagbanuas serves as a bed. The value of the petate 
varies according to its size and the quality of the bejuco. If it is 
bejuco of the first class, known as seca, each petate whose width 
is a meter will cost from fifty to sixty centavos; if it is of second 
class quality, known as bugtong, its price will be forty centavos. 
The principal occupation of the men is to till the soil for the 
planting of palay, corn, camotes, plantain, and other tuberous rooted 
plants; to cut bejuco of different kinds especially that known as 
seca and which is much valued; to bring from the mountains 
almaciga, bees and wax, etc. All these articles are carried to the 
villages and sold at a very low price to the merchants who usually 
are Chinamen. But this is not the usual custom, for the Tagbanuas 
are very timid and seldom attempt to go to the villages and com- 
mercial centers to sell their effects. For this reason the trading is 
done by roving Christians and Moros of the south who exchange 
