THE IFUGAOS OF QUINGAN AND VICINITY. 239 



In Quiangan/ which is one of the large and less rugged valleys, some 

 of the settlements have 90 to 100 houses, others 30 to 70, and others less. 

 (Plate I, fig. 2.) The houses all have the same architectural plan, not 

 beautiful to be sure, but with sufficient solidity to prevent the entrance 

 of wind and rain. They are rectangular, of about three meters on a 

 side. They are sustained by four posts, a meter high, or a little more, 

 which, while hardly put into the earth, support the house firmly in spite 

 of the strength of the winds. The greater part are of rough boards. 

 Some of them are made of bamboo, but with the floor of boards. 

 (Plate III, fig. 1.) 



The Ifugaos of Quiangan and other neighboring regions prefer to 

 cultivate rice where the ground permits, that is to say, wherever they 

 can get spring water for it. As the land is never, or almost never, level, 

 they build various terraces, more or less high, called "pilapiles," in order 

 to make small level surfaces where they can sow rice and keep the water 

 standing, as the culture of this plant demands. They sow it in January 

 or Februarj', or when the rainy season is over. It is of a special quality, 

 very good and with large grains, and it does not give a good crop if 

 planted at the time the Christians of the valley plant their rice. The 

 Ifugaos accordingly let the heavy rains pass, and take advantage of the 

 water of high springs, brought to their fields with much work and no 

 little skill. For this reason, they lose their harvest, or get very little, 

 in the years of drought, without taking account of the plagues of rats 

 which exist in the mountains, eating great quantities of the grain in 

 spite of the beautiful precautions which they take to exterminate them. 



Eeturning to the pilapiles, which are the only means of controlling 

 the inclined slopes of the mountains, it is not easy to appreciate the 

 work which they necessitate. On the gentler slopes of the mountains 

 they are of earth, in the shape of sloping banks whose height varies 

 from a meter to a meter and a half. (Plate VI, fig. 2.) Wlien 

 the land allows this class of pilapiles, which happens only rarely, it is 

 considered excellent and easy to work. More usually there is need of 

 pilapiles made of stone, after the fa.shion of dykes slightly inclined 

 inward, these having to be higher and more numerous as the slope of 

 the mountain becomes more steep. Sometimes they are more than 4 

 meters high, although in Quiangan I have not seen them so high as 

 this. Often their height is greater than the breadth of the space which 

 they inclose, and the Ifugaos do not hesitate at the tremendous work 

 involved. (Plates IV and V, and Plate IX, fig. 2.) The trouble is that 

 they do not even find such ground with water above it, except by buying 

 it at fabulous prices, on account of its being all occupied and private 

 property. Ownership in it is never lost, although the land remains un- 

 cultivated for many generations. 



'Now usually spelled "Kiangan." (Dean C. Worcester.) 



