NON-CHRISTIAN PEOPLES OF PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 1239 



iards never succeeded in invading their 

 secluded valley. They are said to num- 

 ber 53,000, although I am inclined to 

 think this statement exaggerated. 



The men are not only long-haired, but 

 wear switches like the Bontoc women. 

 They bind large turbans around their 

 heads. Some of these are of light, in- 

 digo-blue cloth, but they greatly prefer 

 fiery scarlet and gamboge yellow stripes. 

 Their jackets are close fitting. Their 

 clouts are very long and are wrapped re- 

 peatedly around the waist and abdomen 

 (see pages 1187 and 1191). They tattoo 

 black, cuff-shaped marks on the wrists 

 and backs of the hands, but usually leave 

 the rest of the body untattooed. On their 

 breasts they often wear elaborate mother- 

 of-pearl ornaments, and they particularly 

 like to bedeck themselves with scarlet 

 tassels. 



NO CLOTHES AND NO BATHS DURING TB.'^ 

 PERIOD OF MOURNING 



The women are inordinately fond of 

 beads, although they do not wear such 

 elaborate arm ornaments as do their 

 more civilized sisters of Abra. Many of 

 them have silver ear ornaments of a 

 form strictly peculiar to this region. 

 Into their hair they frequently stick 

 miniature head-axes, which serve both 

 ornamental and useful purposes (see page 

 1 191). Their dress consists of the usual 

 short skirt and a well-made upper gar- 

 ment, which under ordinary circumstances 

 they are careful not to remove in the 

 presence of men. When widowed, how- 

 ever, they go stripped to the waist for a 

 period of six months, unless their male 

 relatives take a head within a shorter 

 time, and they also refrain from bathing. 

 They frequently starve themselves for 

 long periods (see page 1185). 



Courtship frequently lasts for two or 

 more years, and meanwhile young men 

 and young women are allowed to wan- 

 der off together to neighboring towns 

 without the slightest thought of the pos- 

 sibility of any improper conduct on their 

 part. The confidence of the women is 

 really touching. 



I have had the daughter of a headman 

 step, uninvited, into my boat when I was 

 about to proceed up the Abulug River, 



and in reply to my surprised inquiry as 

 to her purpose in joining the expedition 

 have heard her ask rather contemptu- 

 ously if I did not need some one to wash 

 my clothes and cook my rice, later dis- 

 covering that her father was showing his 

 regard for and confidence in me by send- 

 ing her along, unaccompanied, to attend 

 to such matters. 



I have had an attractive woman who 

 wanted beads perch on my knee and pat 

 my cheek in a most engaging manner. 

 But if in consequence I had presumed to 

 show the slightest familiarity with her 

 the nearest man would have sent me to 

 another, and let us hope better, world 

 with promptness and dispatch! All in 

 all, life, when one is traveling among the 

 wild Tingians, is varied but never dull. 



THE WIED men's excellent HOUSES 



These wild Tingians build admirably 

 constructed houses — the finest primitive 

 structures in the Philippines. I would 

 give much to know where they got the 

 plan which they invariably follow. The 

 houses are closely grouped in villages, 

 which are laid out in a fairly definite 

 fashion, with a place for dwellings, an- 

 other for granaries, and a third for the 

 baskets in which they deposit when 

 practicable the heads of their enemies. 

 There is always a group of cocoanut 

 trees and usually a group of the palms 

 from the leaves of which they make 

 raincoats. Usually there is also a group 

 of cacao trees (see page 1190). 



They raise rice and corn sufficient for 

 their own use and grow tobacco for sale 

 in the lowlands. 



In frail boats or on tiny bamboo rafts 

 they navigate with great skill the raging 

 waters of the Abulug River. 



They all have been, and I regret to say 

 some of them still are, inveterate head- 

 hunters. As yet they have been only 

 partially brought under governmental 

 control, and this work cannot be com- 

 pleted until the construction of trails 

 makes their country more readily acces- 

 sible. 



They are fond of music and dancing, 

 but are apt to over-indulge in basi on 

 occasion, and some of the wildest scenes 



