THE MANGYANS OF MINDORO. 139 



best houses and are in general the most prosperous of all these 

 people in Mindoro. Those of Abra de Hog and the Bako River 

 live in rude little huts which usually have no sides. The eaves 

 are so near the floor of the hut that sides are really not neces- 

 sary. The floor is from 30 centimeters to 2 meters above the 

 ground, and is made either of small poles or of the bark of 

 trees. Buri palm leaves are used to make the roof. Many of 

 these houses are so low that a white man can not stand erect 

 in them except in the center under the highest part of the roof. 

 When the floor is more than 1 meter above the ground, the hut 

 is entered by means of a notched log or by 2 small logs laid 

 in the form of an ^ along one side of the house. Even these 

 simple houses may be occupied for several years. 



For lights the Mangyans use a resin from a tree known as 

 palsahingen.'^ This resin is wrapped in a green leaf of the buri 

 palm. The use of this kind of light is widespread in the 

 Philippines. 



PHYSICAL APPEARANCE. 



There is much difference in the appearance of the Mangyans 

 in different parts of Mindoro. Some are large and well devel- 

 oped and appear like Christian Filipinos; others are small with 

 slight physical development; while a few show signs of having 

 Negrito blood. 



Practically all the Mangyans have blackened teeth. This con- 

 dition is a result of the continual chewing of betel-nut. Occasion- 

 ally, a man is seen who has white teeth. This is a person who, 

 for some reason, does not care to chew betel-nut and whose 

 teeth have in consequence remained the natural color. 



The Mangyans near Bulalakao are as large and have as good 

 physiques as the average Christian Filipino. The women seem 

 to be less well developed than the men. This may easily be 

 because of the fact that they marry while still very young, 

 sometimes when they have hardly passed out of girlhood. Many 

 of them, too, work hard. 



If these Mangyans were to dress and live as do the Christian 

 Filipinos, it would not be possible to distinguish one from the 

 other. The same can not be said of all the people of the interior. 



' Canarium villosum F.-Vill. This is a large tree of the Burseraceae 

 which furnishes great quantities of resin. In Camarines Province, Luzon, 

 torches are made of this resin and are called sdlong, the Bikol equivalent of 

 Tagalog sdhing, pitch, resin. 



