NON-CHRISTIAN PEOPLES OF PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



1159 



When a man has killed others, he wears 

 on his head a kerchief of reddish-choco- 

 late color ornamented with characteris- 

 tic almost rectangular white markings, 

 made by tying knots in the cloth before 

 it is dyed. The edge of this kerchief is 

 usually ornamented with beads, and it is 

 worn with one point hanging down over 

 the forehead of the owner. Light-col- 

 ored straight lines extending across this 

 point are said to indicate the number of 

 his victims. 



CURIOUS EAR orname:nts 



In addition, the men commonly wear 

 behind, suspended from their shoulders 

 by thongs Avhich pass under their arms, 

 bags highly ornamented with beadwork. 

 The men are also especially fond of a 

 peculiar ear ornament consisting of an 

 immense disk of ivory two or more 

 inches in diameter, connected with a sec- 

 ond and somewhat smaller disk by a 

 neck-piece and resembling an enormous 

 collar-button with a short shank (see 

 page 1 163). The smaller disk is thrust 

 through a great opening in the lobe of 

 the ear and the flesh contracts about the 

 shank, holding it securely in place. Such 

 an ornament may be worth one or more 

 carabaos, according to its size, and when 

 a man is so fortunate as to own two 

 ivory disks he usually also wears bead 

 necklaces connecting them. 



The offensive weapons of the Bagobos 

 are well-shaped lances and heavy knives. 

 For defense they use large wooden 

 shields of characteristic form, which are 

 often quite elaborately carved (see page 

 1162). 



The women wear upper garments and 

 skirts which very effectively cover their 

 bodies. Their arms, and sometimes their 

 ankles as well, are loaded down with or- 

 naments fashioned from brass and from 

 the shells of giant clams. They are very 

 fond of small bells, which are worn 

 around their waists and legs suspended 

 from bead pendants. While they do not 

 have bells on their toes, they are abun- 

 dantly supplied with rings on their fin- 

 gers, and certainly have music wherever 

 they go (see pages 1161 and 1163). 



HUMAN sacrifice: PRACTICI:D 



The Bagobos live in small villages, 

 ruled by chiefs called datos. They 

 are relatively industrious agriculturists. 

 Some of them own quite extensive hemp 

 plantations and have accumulated con- 

 siderable wealth. A number of Amer- 

 ican planters have employed Bagobos as 

 laborers and have found them satisfac- 

 tory. 



In the past the people of this tribe 

 have taken and kept slaves, and have 

 habitually indulged in human sacrifices 

 when things were going wrong with 

 them. In fact several such sacrifices 

 have been made since the American oc- 

 cupation, the simple-minded participants 

 admitting the fact readily enough and 

 being quite surprised that any one should 

 take exception to a custom believed by 

 them to be not merely proper but highly 

 commendable. 



They have until recently carried on 

 intermittent warfare wath neighboring 

 tribes and to some extent among them- 

 selves, but are now living quietly and 

 peaceably. 



They are a music-loving people and 

 fashion some large and beautifully orna- 

 mented stringed instruments. Some of 

 their dances are most attractive. I have 

 known a professional Bagobo teacher of 

 music and dancing. 



Much time has been devoted by sev- 

 eral competent observers to the study of 

 the Bagobos, and when the results of 

 their observations are published we shall 

 know much more about the people of 

 this tribe than we do at present. They 

 are certainly in many ways most inter- 

 esting and attractive ; but the custom of 

 making human sacrifices, which they 

 share with the Manobos, does not com- 

 mend itself to the average American. 

 This custom alone affords adequate 

 ground for separating them from nearly 

 all other Philippine tribes. 



the: bilanHS (skk picture:, page: 1 166) 



The Bilanes inhabit a portion of south- 

 ern Mindanao lying to the west, south, 

 and east of Lake Buluan and extending 

 to the end of the little peninsula which 



