EDITOEIAIi. , 193 



with it. This practice is very common among the pagans and Moros here. A 

 converted Bagobo, named Anas, gave the writer a "hongat," the possession of 

 which caused the former to be greatly feared while he was a pagan. 



In a fourth letter, dated Davao, July 26, 1886, the following informa- 

 tion is given : 



The writer cites the ease of one Maglandao (not a slave), who obtained a pair 

 of earrings for which he could not pay; whereupon he agreed with the owner to 

 work out the price, which was about 10 pesos. Some days later the owner of the 

 earrings grew angry with him over some trivial matter and shot him, wounding 

 him mortally. The offender was not a Bagobo, but hearing that the Bagobos 

 were about to make a sacrifice, he sold them the dying man for fourteen cavans 

 of rice. The purchasers were well pleased with the bargain, since they secured 

 the victim cheap, as was also the other party to the transaction, for he had 

 obtained sufficient rice to maintain himself for a year. The writer learned of this 

 from a Bagobo who assisted at the sacrifice, and whom the writer baptized later. 

 , Both pagans and Moros make a business of selling victims to Bagobos. When 

 a certain governor of the district of Davao expressed his disgust at this practice, 

 a Bagobo replied: "Is it not lawful to spend your money as you wish? Our 

 slaves are the same as money to us, and we dispose of them agreeably to our 

 pleasure and customs." The writer holds them to be more barbarous than the 

 Ammonites who sacrificed to Saturn; for these made sacrifices only at a certain 

 period of the year, while the Bagobos make them continuously.' Every ranoheria 

 has its feasts in honor of the devil every year. He is known as Busao, Manda- 

 ragan, Darago, and by many other names. When a feast is to be held in his 

 honor, there is a gathering in the house of the headman where all eat, drink, 

 sing and dance very gaily; and the only objectionable feature of the occasion 

 that one can see is the drunkenness commonly attendant on such occasions. 

 They pass around their liquor, inviting one another to drink, and finally calling 

 upon the master of the feast for a speech, they drink to the great Darago, 

 promising to follow and honor him always, and like their forefathers, give him 

 plenty of human blood to drink to secure his friendship and assistance in their 

 wars. The inexperienced observer, who does not understand their language, sees 

 nothing surprising in this; while he who knows something of the Bagobos will at 

 once recognize the proof of the previous day's sacrifice namely the branches placed 

 in the joint of bamboo before which the master of ceremonies invokes the Darago, 

 for these tell the storj^. 



When a contagious disease makes its appearance, or when a relative dies, they 

 interpret this to mean that the Darago wants more victims, and immediately 

 take steps to appease him and thereby save themselves from death. At the 

 moment of sacrificing they say, "Aoaton mo ian dipanoc ini Manobo, timbac 

 dipanoc co, so canao man sapi," which means "Receive thou the blood of this 

 slave as if it were my blood, for I have bought it to offer it to thee." These 

 words they pronounce while slashing the victim with their knives. As the great 

 devil feeds continuously on human victims, these sacrifices must be numerous. 



The following is taken from the Historia de Mindanao y Jolo, by P. 

 Francisco Combes, S. J., pages 63 and 64 : 



The Bagobos, of a pure Indonesian race, are firmly planted on the smaller 

 ridges of the southeast of Apo and have, therefore, as neighbors the Guiangas, the 



' This is contradicted in Governor Walker's report. See p. 195. 



