44 THE EARLY MALAYS AND THEIR NEIGHBOURS 



conceptions find a place in their narratives. Thus the 

 historian of the T'ang Dynasty above quoted informs us that 

 these primitive inhabitants of the Philippines 



"have no corporal punishments, all transgressions being 

 penalized with fines in gold which vary according to the nature 

 of the offence. Only robbers and thieves are made to suffer 

 death." 36 



It is the agreement of all this with what we know from 

 other sources that stamps the descriptions as accurate and 

 genuine and it is just here that the work of Dr. Robertson 

 connects with that of Professor Craig. Formerly Chancellor 

 of the Philippine Academy and Insular Librarian the former 

 is too well known to need extended mention here. As co- 

 editor of the most voluminous publication 37 yet issued relat- 

 ing to the archipelago, and as an explorer in other depart- 

 ments 38 of Far Eastern history his place in that field is amply 

 secure. His latest work 39 appears to be a contribution to a 

 comprehensive treatise 40 covering the Far East and much 

 more. Dr. Kobertson's portion is devoted to "the social 

 structure of, and ideas of law among, early Philippine 

 peoples" and embodies the text and translation of "a recently 

 discovered Pre-Hispanic criminal code of the Philippine 

 Islands" which, he says "is really the excuse for this paper" 

 and "forms part of a manuscript written during the years 

 1837 and 1838 by a Spanish friar, Jose Maria Pavon, who 

 was stationed for some years in the town of Himamaylan in 

 the province of Occidental Negros." 41 



Like Professor Craig, Dr. Eobertson recognizes the re- 

 sults of "contact with the Chinese, with whom they had 

 carried on an intermittent trade for centuries", 42 and like 

 Dr. Saleeby and General Forlong he sees also the possibilities 

 of "contact with the peoples of Asia to the West of China". 43 

 Of Chinese influence the monograph contains not a few in- 



36 Particulars of the Philippines' Pre-Spanish Past, 10. 



37 Blair and Robertson, The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 (Cleve- 

 land, 1903-1909) 55 vols. 



38 Magellan's Journey around the World, (Cleveland, 1906) ; 

 Bibliography of Early Spanish- Japanese Relations. Transactions, 

 Asiatic Society of Japan, Vol. XLIII, Pt. I (1915). 



39 Early Philippine Law and Custom (1917). 



40 The Pacific Ocean in History, (The MacMillan Company, 1917^ 

 Edited by H. Morse Stevens and Herbert E. Bolton. 



41 P. 160. The author adds : e Tt was sent to the Philippine 

 Library at Manila by Mr. Jose E. Marco, whose zeal and enthusiasm 

 in the preservation of historical materials relating to the Philippine 

 Islands is most commendable, and alas, only too rare." 



42 Id. 161. 43 Id. 



