EDITORIAL. 189 



tioned the Atas, G-iangas, Bagobos and the Kalagans. Several Amer- 

 icans and Spaniards have visited the people around Davao Gulf and have 

 studied their ethnology. The Jesuits devoted themselves for many years 

 to missionary work in Mindanao and much of scientific value was ac- 

 complished by this learned and able body of men. Mr. Frederick Sawyer 

 has gleaned more or less Scattered information from their "letters" which 

 he has included in his book "The Inhabitants of the Philippines," ^ in 

 which he merely refers to human sacrifices without giving any of the 

 details, and these references are to sacrifices held only among the Giangas 

 and Tagakaolos. Blumentritt ^ says even less about the Bagobos, and 

 furthermore, he never saw any of the people of the Philippines about 

 whom he wrote. ISTo work has yet been carried on among these peoples 

 by the division of ethnology of this Bureau and as it may be some time 

 before any attempt will be made to study them, I have obtained permis- 

 sion from the chief of that division to contribute some interesting data 

 regarding some of their customs. 



We encountered Bagobos along the route for several days after we 

 reached the Matutan Eange and some of them made the trip into Davao 

 with us ; when we made the ascent of Mount Apo we spent several nights 

 in their villages and used the people for guides and carriers. The large 

 man in the center of the group, shown by Plate I, is Tongkaling, the chief 

 of all these people, surrounded by some of his dependents. Tongkaling is 

 a headman and wears the badge given him by the authorities of the Moro 

 Province. Plate II is a view of the chief's house. Although the Bagobos 

 wage petty wars among themselves, they have caused little trouble for 

 Americans. Indeed, many of those nearer the coast work on the Ameri- 

 can plantations and do fairly well. 



The men of this tribe present a better appearance than do the women, 

 and in physique and features they surpass most of the other natives in the 

 Archipelago whom I have seen, and I have seen many of the tribes. It 

 is said that, like the ancient Spartans, they strangle at birth all deformed 

 children. Their hempen garments are highly decorated with shell orna- 

 ments and with Italian beads which they procure from the Chinese. They 

 mark with some sort of design nearly every article they use, as can be 

 seen by examining the old chief's shield and spear. The men are greatly 

 addicted to the practice of tattooing; the women are not tattooed to any 

 extent, but wear brass rings on their fingers, ears, necks, toes and ankles.^ 



The agong, shown in the upper left-hand corner of Plate. I, is known 

 and used all over the Malay region. I have seen one man play on as 

 many as six of these at a time. It is the chief musical instrument in 



' Sawyer, F. H. : Inhabitants of the Philippines, Charles Scribner's Sons, New 

 York (1900), 353. 



-Globus (1882), 42, 219-222; Globus (1897), 71, 19-20. 



'Anyone traveling in the Bagobo country will do well to lay in a stock of 

 beads, brass wire and cheap jewelry. 



