20 THE SUBANU. 
As might be expected, these people are expert woodsmen and pos- 
sess an acute sense of locality, which enables them to travel thetrackless 
forests and thick swamps of the tropical jungles without losing their 
way. ‘They are therefore trustworthy and tireless guides and, being 
accustomed to living on wild fruit and roots, in emergency can endure 
long journeys with the minimum food supply. 
To supplement the use of tobacco and for chewing purposes the 
Subanu cultivate the areca palm which produces the favorite betel nut, 
the pit of which is overlaid with a thick greenish-colored meat that is 
split into sections for chewing. ‘The nut is somewhat smaller than the 
pecan and retains its green color when mature. In connection with this 
nut there is used the buyo leaf, taken from the buyo plant cultivated 
like hops and trained upon poles or low-growing trees. ‘The entire 
chewing quid is composed of a small leaf of tobacco, a section of betel- 
nut, one buyo leaf, and a small quantity of paste made of shell lime and 
ginger root mixed sometimes with coconut oil and sometimes with 
water. Women generally omit the tobacco, as do the Christian Fili- 
pinos. The Moros and Pagans always use the tobacco in this combina- 
tion. ‘This root gives the dark-red color to the spittle, lips, and teeth 
while chewing, which makes the habit sodisgusting to foreigners. When 
he can afford it the Subanu purchases, usually from the Chinese trader, 
a few pieces (squares about the size of loaf sugar) of gambier (terra 
japonica) for mixture with the other parts of the chewing quid. Gam- 
bier acts as an astringent, heals mouth sores, reduces the sensitiveness 
of filed teeth, and heightens the dark-red color of the spittle. This 
remarkable combination for chewing is placed in a betel-nut box, which 
may be suspended from the shoulder, carried in a bag or basket at the 
side, like a haversack, or in a belt or sash tied about the waist. The 
betel-nut quid is considered more useful than food when severe exertion 
becomes necessary, and all classes of natives resort to its use. The 
habit when once formed is difficult to abandon, and in that respect is 
akin to the opium habit, but is not by any means so deleterious and 
degrading to the human system. 
The Subanu cultivate the areca palm, the buyo plant, tobacco, and 
ginger root. ‘The lime is obtained from the burning of sea shells, which 
is generally done by Kalibugans and Moros, and therefore must be 
obtained from them as a matter of trading. When for any purpose it is 
desired to employ Subanu as guides or for other form of labor, their 
attitude toward the work and their cheerfulness and efficiency in per- 
forming it will be greatly improved and enhanced by supplying them 
beforehand with mountain rice and the materials for the betel-nut 
chewing quid. 
Subanu are very fond of smoking a sort of cigarette made of native 
leaf-tobacco and the soft inner husk of the corn. ‘The tobacco is 
wrapped within this husk and the whole is so folded as to take the shape 
