24 THE SUBANU. 
and yellow colors. The balanti tree supplies a black coloring matter. 
The roots of bancuro afford a red color. ‘The bagolibas tree yields a 
dye of yellowish-brown. ‘The sibucao raltar tree furnishes a red coloring 
matter and is very abundant in the forests. The bacauan tree, found 
in all mangrove swamps, yields a reddish coloring matter. 
In most of the Subanu settlements men may be found who are 
fairly good wood-carvers and others who are capable of fashioning from 
steel, brass, and iron the various implements used in agriculture and 
in household work and hunting. ‘The men prepare various forms of 
nets or snares from bejuco, bamboo, and hemp fiber for the capture of 
wild fowl and wild pigs. A bellows is constructed from bamboo and 
bejuco for blacksmith work. 
Wild Subanu and other pagan tribes make fire by rubbing dry sticks 
in either the plow or the drill method. ‘The sticks are well seasoned 
and are kept in the shelter of the house until needed; in journeys they | 
are carried on the person in baskets. ‘The spark of fire developed by 
the friction is caught in a nest of dry grass or dry bamboo scrapings. 
The fireplace is a sand box within the house, commonly in a small room 
which serves as kitchen, but if in the living room it is set in a corner. 
The smoke escapes as best it may through the window and door open- 
ings and the house is generally much smoked. In boats a small baked 
clay stove is used; this has scalloped sides, is some 18 inches long by 6 
inches wide and 5 inches deep. ‘Those open at the bottom are set 
within a sand box when in use; those closed with an earthenware bottom 
receive the fire without the sand box. In the open country, fires when 
used outside of the houses are made in a pit in the ground, kindled with 
grass and leaves, and brought to heat with dry fagots and limbs; the 
food is roasted above the flame. Sometimes fires are built under the 
houses for the purpose of smoking the interior. 
SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT. 
So far as known the Subanu have never congregated into villages, 
as do the Moros and Filipinos. ‘Their tribal government is patriarchal 
and each chief governs by paternal right, subject to the will of the 
people. Such communal chief has the title of t muaz and holds it only 
while acting as headman of the community. The term timuas (timu- 
way or timway) is a Magindanao Moro word meaning chief or leader, 
adopted by the Subanu and by some other hill tribes in Mindanao to 
designate their headmen. ‘The title was first used by Tabunaway, ruler 
of Magindanao (Kutu Watu, Kota Batu, Cotabato) about a. D. 1470. 
‘Labunaway was succeeded by Sharif Mohamad Kabungsuwan, about 
A. D. 1475, from whom all present-day Moros profess their descent. 
The Moro title of datu is sometimes taken by Subanu in addition 
to the Subanu title of tumuai. Both signify chief, but the latter con- 
veys greater power in that it combines in one person both civil and 
