THE PIGMIES. 9 



But it is evident that in the Philippines, this degraded social 

 status is the consequence of the persecution which these Negritos 

 have suffered at the hands of more powerful and vigorous races. 

 No doubt also, the interestedly false statements made to travellers 

 by the petty chiefs of Tagal villages, ( x ) have led to the admission, 

 as general, of a state of things which is, perhaps, more or less excep- 

 tional. In reply to these exaggerations, I cannot do better than 

 copy almost verbally M. Montano's own words : — 



" The Negritos of the Bataan province seemed to value fully 

 " the security afforded to them by the just and enlightened admin- 

 •' istration of the Governor, Don Estanislao Chaves. I have 



" visited them in their own mountains The house of the chief, 



" very clean indeed, was situated on an eminence surrounded by 

 " other small hills. Several huts had been erected, every one of 

 '■ them in the centre of a clearing of a few acres planted with 



" banana-trees, rice, sugar-cane and, above all. sweet potatoes 



" The chief shouted, and immediately the shouts were repeated 

 " near and far. Before long the whole tribe had gathered round 



"me In the province of Albay, where the conditions of 



" life must be similar to those which exist in Bataan, I have 

 " seen a considerable quantity of cacao that had been gathered 

 " by the Negritos inhabiting the islands of the bay." 



Even among the Mamanouas ( 2 ) of Mindanao, of whom the 

 last survivors are constantly being hunted down by the ferocious 

 Manobros, the French traveller saw on the eastern shore of Lake 

 Ma'init, "a timid tribe, very distrustful, who had nevertheless clear- 

 " ed a space in the jungle, erected huts, and planted banana-trees 

 " and sweet potatoes." 



Thus, all that has been said about the indomitable roving 

 instincts of Aetas is thoroughly inaccurate. If, in certain parts of 

 the Archipelago, these diminutive negroes lead a wandering life, if 

 they do not build huts or till the soil, the fault lies with those who 

 persecute and victimize them. The method of cultivation just 



(i) MS. note of M. Montano. 



( 2 ) Name given to Negritos in Mindanao. (Montano). 



