NON-CHRISTIAN PEOPLES OE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 1227 



that we were crazy, and after that we 

 got on famously with them. 



THE MOROS (SKE PICTURES, PAGES 1 1 77 

 AND 1 1 89) 



"Moro" is the Spanish word for Mo- 

 hammedan, or ]\Ioor, and in the Phihp- 

 pines is used as a generic term appHcable 

 to all of the Mohammedan peoples who 

 inhabit the coast region of the southern 

 third of the island of Palawan, and also 

 Balabac, Cagayan de Jolo, Tawi Tawi, 

 Siassi, Lapac, Jolo, Basilan, and very 

 numerous adjacent small islands, as well 

 as much of the coast region in western 

 and southern Mindanao and the lower 

 part of the Cotabato River valley and 

 the Lake Lanao region. 



Moros of different regions differ con- 

 siderably in language, dress, and cus- 

 toms, but have many things in common, 

 the most important of which is the Mo- 

 hammedan religion, which has funda- 

 mentally modified their natures and 

 made them in many particulars essen- 

 tially different from the other Malayan 

 peoples of the Philippines. 



Many of the men wear their hair short, 

 but the Yacans in the interior of Basilan 

 and the Moros of Lake Lanao wear it 

 long. Turbans are in common use, al- 

 though the Turkish fez makes an ac- 

 ceptable substitute, and hadjis, or men 

 who have visited Mecca, wear tightly fit- 

 ting white caps. As a rule, men dress in 

 very tightly fitting jackets of cotton or 

 silk, which are sometimes black or white, 

 but are more frequently gaily colored. 

 Their "dress-up" trousers are skin-tight 

 below the knee, while those worn when 

 they are at work or are expecting to 

 fight are often as loose as pajama trou- 

 sers (see pages 1177 and 1189). 



Women wear similar loose trousers, 

 with or without skirts, and cover the up- 

 per part of the body with tightly fitting 

 jackets, often left open down the front 

 to a point between or below the breasts. 

 Like the men, they are passionately fond 

 of the brightest colors. 



PIRATES AND PEARE DIVERS 



Except in the interior of Basilan and in 

 the Lake Lanao region, the Moros are 

 essentially a water people. Some of them 



live in their boats for long periods, while 

 most build their houses on piles in the 

 water whenever practicable, so that they 

 can drop into their boats and be off on 

 short notice. They are wonderful swim- 

 mers and divers. It is said that many of 

 the best divers employed in the Ceylon 

 pearl fisheries come from Jolo. 



The Mohammedanism of the Moros 

 is of a somewhat washed-out character, 

 and many of the laws of their religion 

 are more honored in the breach than in 

 the observance, but such as it is they be- 

 lieve in propagating it with the sword, 

 and fight with fanatical bravery. 



Many of the men are skillful in work- 

 ing metals and fashion steel krisses, 

 barongs, and campilans of deadly excel- 

 lence. They also use lances, and in pro- 

 tecting themselves employ heavy, round 

 wooden shields. Erom time to time cer- 

 tain individuals take solemn oaths to die 

 killing Christians, and are then known as 

 juramentados, or ''sworn men." They 

 secrete deadly weapons, betake them- 

 selves to places where there are crowds 

 of people, and then run wild, cutting 

 down every one within reach until they 

 are themselves killed. They believe that 

 as a reward for this commendable proce- 

 dure they go straight to the seventh 

 heaven. 



Volumes might be written about the 

 Moros ; but I must content myself with 

 saying that Dr. N. M. Saleeby is the 

 greatest authority on them, and that 

 some of the results of his important in- 

 vestigations have been published by the 

 Philippine Bureau of Science. 



The problem involved in tranquilizing 

 and civilizing these people is a very grave 

 one. It is my opinion not only that its 

 solution is not yet in sight, but that we 

 are at present not making as much prog- 

 ress as we might. At all events, we have 

 performed a valuable service in releasing 

 slaves who were formerly held in large 

 numbers, and in effectively preventing 

 the piratical and slave-huntinj raids in 

 which Moros promptly indulge when left 

 to their own devices. 



THE NEGRITOS (SEE PICTURE, PAGE I180) 



The Negritos, generally considered to 

 be the aborigines of the Philippines, are 



