192 EDITORIAIi. 



given by him in the preceding letter was furnished by baptized Bagobos and also 

 by intended victims that missionaries have rescued. 



The Bagobos are very superstitious, and their customs are frequently very 

 ridiculous. When one of them becomes possessed of an evil impulse (and the 

 appearance of a snake in the house, the breaking of a pot on the fire, etc., is 

 sufficient for this) he calls on his Matanon to liberate him from evil through his 

 great knowledge. Matanon, the protector of the religion and customs of his 

 forefathers, makes with his knife a doll in the form of a man; and then addressing 

 God, says: "Oh God, creator of men, trees and all things, do not deprive us 

 of life, but receive in place thereof this piece of wood which has our form." 

 This ceremonial over, they throw a sack into the water which contains a little rice 

 or "morisqueta" * { sometimes it contains the wooden doll also ) , and this is even 

 accompanied occasionally by a cock. In this way the trouble is relieved. When 

 they are sick they make offerings to the "Diiiata" on their "tamiora," which 

 consists of a plate placed on top of a piece of bamboo set upright in the ground. 

 On this plate are placed "huyo" '' and tobacco, and then they address God, 

 saying: "We offer you this, give us health." When they visit the sick they 

 bind wires around their wrists and ankles to keep the "Umocod" or soul from 

 escaping. And when one dies he must have his ration of rice to eat on the 

 way. Upon gathering the harvest of rice or corn, the very first grains obtained 

 are offered to the "Diuata" and they would not think of selling or otherwise 

 using any of the crop for themselves until their field implements have been fed, 

 for these have cleaned the field. 



The song, or cry, of the limacon" is for them the voice of God, and presages 

 good or ill according to circumstances. Thus when the limacon cries out, all 

 who hear it pause and look around. If, for example, they see a fallen tree, 

 the limacon tells them that they should not continue their journey for they 

 will meet the same fate as the trees; whereupon they turn back. Should they 

 not behold anything that especially augurs ill, then the cry of the limacon has 

 but assured them of the successful outcome of their journey, and they continue 

 on their way. A sneeze is a bad augury, and when anyone sneezes at the 

 beginning of a journey, the journey is postpone.d until the next day. 



Few thefts, are committed among Bagobos, for they believe that a thief can 

 easily be discovered through their wonderful "iongat." This consists of two 

 small joints of bamboo, containing mysterious powders. He from whom some- 

 thing has been stolen and who wishes to find the thief, takes a hen's egg, 

 makes a hole in the shell and into this injects some of the mysterious powders 

 already referred to and then places the egg in the fire. Should he desire 

 the death of the thief, he has only to break the egg. But, as frequently happens, 

 the thief may be a relative or a person very dear to the operator; and so often- 

 times the egg is not broken in order that a more happy solution may be had; 

 for in any case when all methods save breaking the egg have been resorted to, and 

 the latter is done, no matter where the thief may be, he will at once betray him- 

 self by shouting "I am the thief, I am the thief!" And this is due to the sharp 

 pains he is said to feel throughout his body. Once discovered, he can be cured 

 by placing some of the powder from the other joint in water and bathing his body 



* Cooked rice. 



° Buyo is composed of the fruit of the betel-nut palm, locally known as ionga 

 [Areea catechu Linn.), the fresh leaves of Piper lyetle Linn., and lime, to which 

 tobacco is sometimes added. It is extensively chewed by the natives of India 

 and Malaya. 



°A small, brown pigeon, of the genus Phapitroron. 



