The Philippine Journai, of Science, 



D. General Biology, Ethnology and Anthropology. 



Vol. VI, No. 6, December, 1911. 



THE NON-CHRISTIAN PEOPLE OF AMBOS CAMARINES. 



By Meeton L. Miller. 

 (From the Division of Ethnology, Bureau of Science, Manila, P. I.) 



The Province of Ambos Camariues is occupied mainly by the Bikol 

 people. In the northern part of Camarines JSTorte there are certain 

 towns which are occupied wholly or in part by Tagalogs. Many of the 

 latter are said to have come in from the north at the time of the dis- 

 covery of gold at Paracale and neighboring towns. With these excep- 

 tions all the municipalities of the province are occupied by Bikols. 

 However in the hills of both Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte there 

 are other people who apparently are neither Tagalog nor Bikol. In 

 Camarines Sur these people know themselves and are known to the 

 Christian population of the. towns as "Agta." The great body of them 

 lives on the slopes of the two extinct volcanoes, Iriga and Isarog. They 

 state that in Spanish times white people never ventured among them. 

 Their hostility toward the Spaniards is said to have been due to con- 

 tinual attacks made on them by the latter and to the consequent ■ desire 

 for revenge awakened in the hill people. To all appearances there 

 is no danger whatever in going alone among them at the present time. 



Those about Mount Isarog are found for the most part about one- 

 third of the way up the slopes and apparently in about the place where 

 they have lived for years. They formerly were scattered about in the 

 hills, but now are slowly coming to live in groups, although they say they 

 prefer to live scattered about. This is probably partly because they are 

 thus enabled to be nearer to their growing crops and partly because they 

 have been accustomed to this method of life for many years. 



The people of Consosep are typical of these groups of Isarog people. 

 Consosep is some six or seven hours travel from Mabatobato, almost 

 all of it uphill. Mabatobato is a iarrio distant about three and one- 

 half hours from Pili. A schoolhouse is located at Consosep on a 

 spur which juts out from Isarog and is perhaps 610 meters high.. The 

 building can be seen for many miles, as the country immediately around 

 it is not wooded. A few hundred yards back of the schoolhouse toward 



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