VENTURELLO] MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF TAGBANUAS 541 
dialect. These Palawanos feed upon wild animals, vermin of the 
forest, worms and grasses, centipedes, snakes, monkeys, etc. 
When any of these become ill the babailan cures them. Should 
a person die whose infirmity the babailan could not cure, the cause 
is attributed to witchcraft. The body of the dead is bathed and 
then wound from head to foot with one or more pieces of white 
cloth. If the deceased was rich, his body will be placed in a coffin; 
if poor, in a basket of cama espino very similar to a chicken coop. 
There is no ceremony observed at the grave, save that articles of 
food are taken there and upon it are placed the various articles of 
more or less value which had belonged to the man in life. 
The Islamite Palawanos observe the sambayang of the Moros, 
which corresponds with our novenary. If the man was rich, during 
this period of vigil large gifts are distributed consisting of money 
or cloths, according to the pecuniary ability of the family. This 
gift is obligatory on their part and thus if any child or relative of 
a moderately rich Palawano dies, these compulsory expenses very 
often reduce him to poverty. 
The riches of the Palawanos consist in metal dishes, rice, money, 
servants, and slaves. 
Although the Islamite Palawanos are on good terms with the 
Moros, this is not the case with the Palawanos of the interior and 
the mountains. Between these and the Moros there is constant 
warfare. No Moro, dlone, is able to penetrate the woods or to 
cross the line which separates the rancheria from the territory occu- 
pied by the mountaineers, without danger of being killed. This is 
done to avenge the disappearance of their countrymen who had 
fallen victims to the excessive oppression of the Moros and who 
were either killed or were made slaves, being taken away to dis- 
tant places and there sold. The mountain Palawanos, for the same 
reason, never crossed into the territories of the Moros. 
I have already spoken of the industry of the non-Christian tribes 
including the Palawanos. But the Palawanos of the coast, notwith- 
standing the timidity of their character, are the only ones who come 
here after the harvest to sell their products of rice and petates of 
pandan and bejuco known as viray. They are always accom- 
panied by certain Moro friends. I have known no other kind 
of commerce among this people and I have never seen one 
Moro who worked the soil in order to plant the seeds, not even a 
camote or plantain, much less palay. The exception to this were 
two brothers, who had lived with Christians ten years and who in 
the time of the Spaniards had been held as prisoners. 
