Montéses or Buquidnónes (6).
The Spanish word Montés, means hill-man. Buquid, in Tagal, means arable land; and Taga-buquid, a countryman. The Tagal equivalent of hill-man is Taga-bundoc, which corresponds to the jungle-wallah of British India. The word Buquidnónes may mean cultivators, and their extensive plantations fully justify this designation. It is therefore rather a vague expression, but still designates a particular tribe in Mindanao, whose numbers were estimated to amount to 13,000 ten years ago, and who have probably largely increased since then.
They occupy the valleys through which the Rivers of Cagayan and Tagoloan run, and the hills between them and on both sides.
They hold the country of the head-waters of the Pulangui, and the right bank, as far south as the Manobos extend on the left bank, say to 7° 30′ N. latitude. In the north they extend right up into the peninsula between the Bay of Macajalar and the Bay of Lunao, occupying the lofty mountains of Sabrac, Sinalagao, Quimanquil, and the sacred Balatucan, whence the souls of the dead jump from earth to heaven.
Father Clotet, from whose letters to his superiors I have taken these particulars, considers them to be divided into three large groups.
The first consists of those living in the hills and valleys of the rivers Tagoloan, Cagayan, and Iponam; the second, of those bordering on the Manobos of the Agusan between Gingoog and Nasipit, and the third of those who live on the right bank of the Pulangui and on some of its affluents.
They bear some resemblance to their neighbours the Manobos, being of good stature, well-built, even handsome, and are of an affable and friendly disposition; some of them are so smart and well-bred as to be not in the least inferior to the most civilised of the Visayas, and to judge by their free and open address, and the absence of all affectation when settling their business with the old Christians, nobody would take them for heathens.
Father Urios said that, from the extent of their intelligence, they were fit to be kings of the Manobos, so much superior were they to these.
In their dress they show a far greater idea of decorum and modesty than any other race in Mindanao, both men and women. The latter wear a white shirt, which is held in at the waist by a long skirt, reaching to the ankles. Over this they wear a very short and tight jacket, to the edges of which they sew strips of cloth of many colours in a pleasing tracery, the short wide sleeves being trimmed in the same way.
They show great taste in choosing the colours and designs with which they ornament their dresses. On the left side at the waist they hang some bead ornaments, small bells, and bunches of scented herbs. On their legs they wear many loose rings of brass, copper, or silver, which rattle when they walk. Their manner of dressing their hair is singular, and characteristic. They take the bulk of the hair, and without plaiting it they twist and knot it in a high and large coil. All round the head fall curls cut to one length, but on the forehead there is a fringe coming down almost to the eye-brows. They secure the coil with a handsome and showy comb, well made of metal, or precious metals, according to the means of the wearer. Many of them are loaded with bracelets from the wrists to near the elbows, either of metal, of tortoise-shell, or mother-of-pearl. In their ears they wear large ornaments called balaring, made of a plug of soft wood, having on each end a circular plate of brass, copper, silver, or of engraved gold, one larger than the other. The hole of the ear is greatly stretched to allow the smaller plate to pass through; the plug then remains in the hole, and is covered at each end by the plates. They wear also necklaces, sometimes of great value. These manufactures seem to be very similar to those of the Igorrotes, which have been detailed at length in the description of that interesting people.
Father Clotet mentioned a curious necklace worn by one of these women, formed of ancient silver coins, diminishing in size from the centre to the extremities. In the middle was a silver dollar of Charles III. He considered this to be worth thirty dollars, which was quite a capital to a Montés in a small hamlet.
Even when pressed by necessity they will not sell these ornaments, and they consequently pass from father to son for many generations. They wear rings of brass, silver or gold, not only on their fingers, but also on their toes.
The dress of the men on ordinary occasions is quite simple, but on grand occasions they wear long trousers of European cloth, jackets of the same stuff, and fine beaver hats. Their shirts of fine linen are not worn outside the trousers as amongst the Tagals, only the front being shown, which is often beautifully embroidered. Those amongst them who, although heathens, have a frequent intercourse with the Christians, have their hair cut short and take great care of it; but those living amongst the hills let it grow long, and, rolling it into a knot, tie it up in a kerchief like the charros of Aragon. Some of them paint their teeth black, and file them into points. The wealthy men and women cover their teeth with thin gold plates, like the chiefs amongst the Igorrotes, but unlike them they take them off to eat. It would seem to be indecent to show one’s teeth to any person of superior rank.
They believe in a future life, and are polytheists. They worship the gods of the cardinal points: the god of the north is called Domalongdong; he of the south, Ongli; of the east, Tagolambong; of the west, Magbabaya.
This last god, Magbabaya, which means Almighty, has, however, two other gods of equal rank: Ibabasag and Ipamahandi. The first is invoked for the safe delivery of pregnant women; the second takes care of the horses and cattle, and as there is hardly a Buquidnon who does not possess some of these animals to assist him in his labour, Ipamahandi is constantly called upon to help them when any accident happens.
Tagum-Banúa, the god of the fields, is prayed to for a good harvest, and a feast called the Caliga, corresponding to our harvest festival, is held in his honour. The Tao-sa-sulup, or men of the woods, correspond to the Tic-Balan of the old heathen Tagals, and inhabit the trunks of secular trees, especially the Balete, or rocky crags or caves, intervening in the affairs of mortals to favour them or upset them. Consequently they make sacrifices to these spirits to propitiate them and gain their favour.
Tigbas is a much respected god, looked upon with special reverence as having come down from heaven. He is represented by stone idols on stone pedestals, only possessed by the principal dattos, who keep them amongst the heir-looms of their ancestors, and only allow their near relations or intimate friends to see them.
Talian is a small idol in the figure of a monkey squatting, usually made from the root of the willow. This they carry about with them, hanging from a cord round its neck. When on a journey, if they fear an ambush, they hold out the cord with the little idol on it like a plumb-line, and let it spin. When it comes to rest, its face is turned in the direction where the enemy is concealed. They then carefully avoid that direction, if they have been following it, by turning off and taking another path. If one of them is ill, they submerge the idol in a cup of water which he immediately drinks. Otherwise, by simply touching the suffering part, they find relief, and even a radical cure.
The Busao, an evil spirit, must be kept in good humour, and to this end they offer to it meat and drink, and sing and dance in its honour, praying to it to deliver them from any calamity they fear.
The elders are charged with the duty of offering fruits and of sacrificing the pigs and fowls to the deities. It will be seen what a strong religious bias prevails amongst these people, who are convinced that all the affairs of life are in the hands of Divine Providence, and of the necessity of prayer and sacrifice.
Marriages amongst them are arranged by the parents or by the head chief of their tribe, the Masalicampo (Maestro de Campo). A house is prepared for the young couple, and an abundant feast is made ready, including an ample supply of a fermented drink called pangasi, which is preserved in large jars. When the guests have assembled, and everything is ready, the bride and bridegroom exchange a few words, and each receives from their respective fathers a small morsel of cooked rice. This they hold out for a short time on the palms of their hands, and then each places the morsel in the mouth of the other, and this action solemnises the marriage. The Tagbanúas have the same custom.
Immediately an animated conversation bursts out amongst the guests, and a profuse and carefully-cooked feast is served.
To the feast succeeds a prolonged drinking bout, the guests sucking up the liquor through straws or canes from the jars which contain it. Amongst the Montéses it is not considered good form to return home from a wedding ostentatiously sober.
Polygamy is allowed, but little practised, only the dattos having two or perhaps three wives.
Father Barrado, who was a missionary amongst them, remarked on the repugnance these people have to pass through the territory of some other datto, and Dr. Montano, who crossed Mindanao from Davao to Butuan, confirms this very fully as regards Mandayas and Manobos. In order that they may do this in safety, the principal dattos have a large and highly-ornamented lance called a quiap. In return for a small fee they lend this to any of their Sácopes who desire to pass through another datto’s territory as a passport, or safe conduct. When carrying this lance, far from being molested, travellers are treated with consideration and deference, even in time of war.
The principal dattos show their grandeur by having enormous jars, in which they preserve their heir-looms or rare and curious objects, or use for holding provisions. Gongs also are much esteemed amongst them. But their most precious possessions are certain wooden-boxes or trunks with copper coins nailed all over them in patterns, in which they keep their clothes and arms. In this they resemble the rajahs and sultans of the Malays. They use swords and lances, bolos, and sometimes the Malay kris with inscriptions and marks in Arabic, these last are got from the Moros. Some of their arms are beautifully made with carved handles of hard wood, and inlaid with silver, having sheaths of polished wood. Some of them have coats of mail, made of brass plates and wires, ornamented with silver. These appear to be of great antiquity, and it is not known where they came from originally. Others have quilted jackets such as Cortes found amongst the Mexicans. Notwithstanding their amiable characteristics, they make forays like the Manobos, and attack other tribes, killing the adults, and carrying off the children as slaves and the girls as concubines.
They use the pneumatic tinder-box like the Igorrotes. They are fond of smoking, and raise large crops of excellent tobacco, selling their surplus in Cagayan de Misamis. They prefer to smoke their tobacco in pipes, which they make themselves. They also chew buyo. On their voyages they carry pouches to contain their belongings, and a curious crescent-shaped box made of brass plate, which they tie on in front.
Although able to make long journeys on foot, they usually ride, and are excellent horsemen, riding up and down the steepest paths. Their horses are adorned with one or two necklaces of sleigh-bells, so that they can be heard approaching from a distance.
They have no calendar, but know from the appearance of certain constellations in the heavens, to which they give names of their own, that the rainy season is approaching, and they then set to work busily to prepare their land for sowing or planting.
They use the plough, and make extensive plantations of maize, which is their principal article of food, and also of rice, they sell the surplus to the inhabitants of the coast towns, for articles they require, especially salt. They make small stone hand-mills for grinding maize, and what is much more curious, they have invented and manufactured cotton gins, having two wooden rollers geared together, worked by a crank on the upper one. These gins work with great regularity.
In 1889 they were much interested in planting and preparing Abacá, and Gingoog, one of their outlets, exported no less than 11,000 piculs, or the equivalent of 5500 bales in twelve months. They also take down to the coast-towns quantities of wax and resin. Their labour ought to make them wealthy, but here again we find the rascally Chinaman, who, intoxicating them with some vile spirits, deceives them in the price, cheats them in the weight, and sends them back sick and ill from their unaccustomed libations, with some wretched rubbish in exchange for their valuable produce. By this means their industry is checked, and those who take down goods return in worse plight than they went. Any decent Government would prohibit the demoralisation of this interesting people, but the Chinaman well understands how to deal with the local Spanish authorities, and even subscribes largely to the church, for he likes to have two strings to his bow.
The musical instruments of the Montéses are clarinets, flutes, guitars of three strings, and a small drum.
At the time of the harvest, from the first peep of day to sunrise, before beginning to work, they sing or chant certain songs, the men and women taking alternate verses.
They have courts of justice to punish robbery and other offences. Their laws are traditional, passing from father to son, and occasionally altered at the discretion of the principal datto, to whom they appeal if they have been gravely offended. The principal datto having taken his seat, his head is bound round with the pinditon, or head-cloth, with three points, and he takes the quiap (already mentioned) in his hand. He then invites two inferior dattos, who take seats one on each side of him. The prisoner is then led forward by a guard, who sticks their lances in the earth near the seats of the tribunal. The case is argued on both sides, the court deliberates and gives judgment and sentence, which is executed upon the spot, fine, corporal-punishment, or death. This is quite an ideal criminal court, and worthy of all respect.
Amongst them it is considered as a want of education and good manners to mention their own names, and if a stranger asks, “What is your name?” the person interrogated does not answer, but some one else replies, “His name is so-and-so.” This actually happened to me amongst the Tagbanúas of Paragua, when I visited them. (See Tagbanúas.)
They believe in omens, and have many curious customs, too long to relate, but I shall mention one.
If a stranger enters a house to visit those who inhabit it, and during the conversation a fowl should fly and pass before him, the people of the house instantly kill it, and cooking it as quickly as possible, they eat it in company with the visitor to allay his fright, and cause his soul to return to his body, for it might have left him when he was startled.
The houses in their villages are large and well-built, sometimes the walls are of thick planks of hard wood tied together with rattan, for they use no nails. The houses in the country are smaller, and low in the roof, but always so high from the ground that the longest lance will not reach the floor.
Atás from the Back Slopes of the Apo.
[To face p. 347.
Great respect is shown to the dead. They are usually buried in their fields with lance, sword, and bolo laid beside them. They make a mound of earth over the grave, fixing several stakes like St Andrew’s crosses, and protecting the whole with the bark of a tree fastened over the stakes. From a high post hangs a bag of rice, that the soul of the defunct may sustain itself on the long journey to Mount Bolotucan, the highest peak of the whole region. The soul having arrived on this peak, gives one great jump, and reaches heaven, at a higher or lower level, according to the greater or lesser probity of its life on earth. Wherever it lands, there it remains to all eternity. The relations make great lamentations at the death, and loose their hair which they do not roll up for a greater or lesser period, according to the love they bore the dead.
It is pleasing to be able again to state that the bravery, the wisdom, and the faith and charity of the Jesuits exercised amongst this race has had a rich reward. During the four years which concluded in 1889, no less than 6600 heathen Montéses renounced their superstitions, their polygamy, and their slave-hunting murdering raids, and, accepting the doctrines of our Saviour, were baptized into the Christian faith. Besides the older coast towns, mostly occupied by Visayas, twenty-four Christian villages extend from the Bay of Macajalar far into the Montése country, now giving the hand to the military garrisons on the Rio Grande amongst those irreclaimable pirates the Moros.
The Cross was triumphing over the Crescent in Mindanao quite as much, nay, much more, by the voices of the missionaries as by the Spanish bayonets. It will be an outrage on Christianity, a blot on their renown, if through ignorance or folly, the United States should so act as to put a stop to this holy and civilising work, and so give occasion for some future author to write another “Century of Dishonour.”