THE IFUGAOS OF QUINGAN AND VICINITY. 245 



EDUCATION OF CHILDREN. ' 



In order to make more clear what I have said concerning the ferocity 

 of character of these Ifugaos^ it is well to indicate the difference which 

 exists between those who live on sweet potatoes in the more rugged and 

 distant mountains, and those who are accustomed to work in the fields 

 in the cultivation of rice. ISTevertheless, even these differences are difficult 

 to detect. Speaking of those to the north and east of the Cordillera, 

 those of the southwest, although they only give themselves to their 

 gardens of gabi and sweet potatoes, are more timid and docile as I was 

 able to observe in the journeys that I made through their mountains. 



From birth they are accustomed to do as they please in every thing 

 on account of the extremely bad education which they receive from their 

 parents, who, although the}' hate like death the least domination on the 

 part of strangers, submit like slaves to the caprice and insolence of their 

 children. The children give orders in the house, and if at some time 

 their parents do not yield to their stupid caprices they begin to cry 

 furiousty, and immediately their parents hasten to quiet them, giving 

 them a thousand caresses, and in addition allowing them what they ask. 

 They do not whip ■ or punish them as do the Christian natives. The 

 liglitest slap is not employed among the Ifugaos, and would be received 

 very badly and criticised among the others if it should be observed at 

 any time. The most that happens, especially with the women — the 

 mothers — is to shout at them, when their caprices are too repugnant and 

 prejudicial to the interests of the house, but they gain nothing by this, 

 because if they (the children) are small they only weep the harder, and 

 if they are larger they pick up stones or lances, and attack their parents, 

 driving them out of the house, to which they do not return until they 

 see the children pacified and quiet. It seems incredible that people so 

 hard and cruel with strangers should be so sensitive and affectionate with 

 their own. Nevertheless, so it is, as is proved by experience. Wild 

 beasts, also, in spite of their bloody instincts, love their offspring tenderly 

 and risk their lives for them. 



MAKRIAGES. 



The relations which these Ifugaos maintain hardly deserve this name. 

 They divorce themselves as readily as they marry, the men seeking other 

 wives and the women other husbands. The Ifugaos seldom grow old 

 without having changed '"tljeir wives one or more times. The slightest 

 annoynace" the least caprice, a single word, is frequently enough to 

 dissolve -the contract, but the most influential and common reason on 

 the part of the man for divorcing his wife is ban-enness, and the com- 

 monest reason on the part of the wife for divorcing her husband is 

 laziness. 



