They also have their mourning for very near deceased relatives. That consists in wearing a cloth on the head, which they are accustomed to remove in no case until they have committed a murder. And as long as they wear the said mourning which they call balata,[8] they are not accustomed to sing, or dance, or play their musical instruments; nor will they attend any feast among them. Those feasts are always made with wine, and their musical instruments are played at them. But when they have cut off some head, or committed some murder, then they remove the balata, or mourning. For that purpose the relatives assemble and a great drunken revel is made where much wine is consumed and some days spent in this occupation. Accordingly, it is necessary that among these Indians many murders must be committed, for no mourning is removed until some murder has been committed, and then the relatives of the one who has been recently murdered in order to remove the previous mourning, also put on new mourning, and in order to remove that it is necessary to commit another murder. Hence, they mutually kill one another, and they are always wearing mourning, except when the murder is committed far away among the blacks, or among the Indians subject to his Majesty in the neighboring provinces. And in order that they may not proceed ad infinitum in this manner, they try to commit the murders which they do commit secretly, when it is not in their district, so that the said murder may not be attributed to them. But, having committed the said murder, then they tell it to their neighbors, and they make merry, sing, and play their music, for as long a time as they ceased to make merry during the time when they wore the balata. Thus it is commonly said that three-fourths of those who die among these Zambals die violent deaths, and one-fourth and even not that much, die natural deaths. But whenever there is any death, be it violent or natural, there is the balata which must be removed by another death, either by killing another Zambal, a black of the mountain, or an Indian of the provinces, near the said Zambals, or a black of the mountain, or an Indian. I know a man who is said to have committed sixty murders. I do not dare to assert as true that which is told me of that Indian, but what I know is that those Indians do not get angry or take it as an affront among themselves to be so cruel, but on the contrary they highly praise and assert those customs, and are vain of the murders which they commit. Thus, as among the Spaniards, one speaks and talks with courtesy of “my associate so and so,” “my neighbor,” “my comrade,” etc., and it is a kind of discourtesy to say “Juan Fernandez” “Pedro Sanchez,” etc.; so also among these Indians it is a discourtesy to be called by one’s companions only men. It is a high and good politeness to be called by the name which signifies in their own language, “an accomplice in a murder” that title being “Araoc;” and thus they say Araoc Juan, etc. And as they are little given to flattery, they never give the name of Araoc to him who does not really and truly possess it; for it is regarded among them as making a jest at one to whom the said title is given, if it does not belong to him, just as among us it is a jest to give the title of a brave man to one who does not dare to draw his sword from his belt.
Their marriages are not made between relatives, but on the contrary they try to marry those who are not related to them; and I believe that the reason therefor is to acquire new kinship by means of marriage, for we see that he who has the most kindred is the most powerful, is the one held in highest esteem by all and commits more murders in which consists their greatest estate, for he has more and greater opportunity to go scotfree from those murders which he commits. Marriages are not performed until the relatives of both parties are assembled, and order the two contracting parties to eat together from one plate. All the other preceding preparations and ceremonies belong to the contract of the marriage and the betrothal. Said marriages, moreover, are [not] made by virtue of the wish of the contracting parties, for they are married from childhood when most of the contracting parties do not even have the use of their reason. The reason that has been given to me for this is so that they may be raised together from childhood, and contract love one for the other. But we see that very many marriages result badly, and after marriage the parties separate, although in this regard the men are very patient, for among these Indians, as among all those of this land, it is the custom for the man to give the dowry to the woman. Among the Zambals, it is the custom not only to give the dowry to the woman, but also another kind of dowry to all the relatives of the said woman. They call the latter dowry sambon. Among the Tagálogs it was also formerly the custom and was called sohol. That second dowry among these Indians is generally larger than the first, which is the one that is given to the woman. If husband and wife quarrel, and she wishes to separate from her husband and marry another man, and if the cause of the quarrel has been given by the man; they are divorced and he loses the dowry which he gave to his wife, as well as that which he gave to the relatives of said wife. But if the cause of the said quarrel proceeded from the wife and she wishes to be divorced, she must return all the dowry, and in such case her relatives also return that which was given to them. And since it is of some consequence to them whether the two married people live at peace or at war, it is very common for all the woman’s kin to take her side, in order not to return what was given to each one. Consequently, although there may never be justice, the woman always has the argument on her side to do that which she wishes. And since there is no other justice here than the yua, bows and arrows, the tanca, and caraza, the greater kindred and those most interested always prevail; and since these are the relatives of the woman to whom the dowry was given and the husband is alone, and at the most is supported by his brothers, always or generally the argument is on the side of the wife, and the husband has to give up both dowries. Consequently, the poor Zambal, in order not to be left without wife and dowry, endures whatever his wife wishes. Besides, these Indians are not so barbarous that they do not know when they are right in what they ask, and when they are not right. Consequently, the wife will never say that she wishes to be divorced unless it is when the husband was the evident cause of the quarrel. However, sometimes they are accustomed to make friendship between the husband and wife, on condition that the husband commit a murder. In such an event he leaves the house and does not come again into the presence of his wife until he commits said murder. The murder having been committed, and said wife hearing of it, before the husband reaches the house, his wife goes to receive him with a new bajaque in her hands, in order to present it to her husband in sign of congratulation for obeying her. But in such an event the wife and her relatives have to make good the damage which follows from the said murder, and the husband is free. The ceremony of the wife going out to meet her husband with the present of the bajaque on said occasion is of so great importance among these Indians that the husband will be grieved if his wife fails in this ceremony or courtesy.
The married women have one good custom, and that is that they are chaste and loyal to their husbands. Scarcely can a married woman be found among the Zambals of whom it can be said casually that she has had lascivious communication with another, although it is very common for all the people to sleep together in one hut or thicket, and all, both men and women, are intoxicated. But there will be no occasion for a man to jest with a married woman, and more, in the presence of others. But I also believe that that chastity or less incontinence in this matter was not taught by the devil for the welfare and honor of these Zambals, but to give them more opportunities to commit more murders and to make them more turbulent, for the married men are very jealous of their wives and in no case do they leave them. Wherever they go, they go together, and do not lose sight of one another. When they go on a journey, they take all their possessions and the wife carries it all in a basket which she bears on her back by means of a cord from the head. The man with his bow and arrow escorts her. They are accustomed even to carry the hen and its chicks in the said basket or under the arm, so that they carry all that they can of the possessions which they have in their house except what is not portable, and those they hide in the thicket. And if the husband absents himself because of any occurrence, and cannot take his wife with him, and if, during the said absence, the wife weakens in her chastity, and it comes to be common property in the ranchería, for if she has been weak it is very difficult to keep such news from her husband, for these Indians cannot keep a secret: then in such an event the husband kills without any remedy the one who has offended him by sinning with his wife. And having killed such a person, he informs the relatives themselves of said wife of the treachery which his wife has committed in order that they may kill her; and if the said relatives neglect to kill such a wife, then, in that case her own husband kills her and can kill also any relative of the said wife without being obliged in that account to pay anything. Notwithstanding this custom, that quarrel is generally patched up with gold, but they must have much gold among them for that means. I know a principal woman, one of the most influential of said Zambals, whom one of these contentions cost more than thirty taes of gold and two slaves whom she delivered up so that their heads might be cut off. But it is to be noted that the offender of the wife, or the adulterer [mancebo], gives said gold to the husband of said wife, and the wife gives the gold to her own relatives, if they are her cousins and brothers. That woman and chieftainess is called Monica Corosan and was married in facie eclesia [i.e., with the rites of the Church], and because she has been weak and little or not at all faithful to her husband, it cost her the sum above mentioned, and she was divorced and separated from her legitimate husband, by whom she had a son, and was remarried to her adulterer. He already has three daughters. But although the said quarrel was patched up by means of the gold she has not dared to appear before her relatives for more than twelve years. Consequently, the fact that said women are so chaste proceeds from this rigor which they exercise in this matter. If they value their husbands and relatives so greatly, it is because the latter may take vengeance. I believe that the single women are also chaste, although some are generally careless; but both the woman and the accomplice pay with their lives if the fact is learned. If any woman is pregnant, her relatives force her to tell who is the accomplice of her pregnancy, and if the two do not marry, the relatives kill them both without being obliged to give any compensation therefor.
Burials. In their burials, they are not wont to shroud the deceased but to clothe him. If he is a chief they put two dresses on him, according to their manner, and two robes. If the deceased has any share in any inheritance of gold, before they bury said deceased, the gold is divided before the corpse itself, and the part which belonged to him is placed in the grave with the said corpse with his store of certain articles of food. I have heard it said of the natives of Buquil that if the deceased is a chief and has any slave, they kill a slave and bury him with his master. I have had very little to do with the natives of Buquil, and, consequently, I do not know how much truth there is in this, and I do not affirm it. I have also heard another thing said which would horrify the ears were I to tell it; hence I do not dare to set it down on this paper. For, as I say, I have had but little to do with the natives of Buquil, as they have not allowed us to enter there, and if I were to qualify it as true when I was not sure that it was true, if it afterwards appears to be false, it will be inferred that there is but little truth in this paper of mine. Consequently, I will not mention it.
There is a kind of contempt which is very great among the Indians for one who has not murdered anyone. Consequently, those who have some little gold with which to pay for their murders are much given to this vice of murdering. They generally buy slaves or negrillos of the mountain so that their little sons might kill them. Binding the wretched slave or black they take said sufferer into the presence of their sons from three to seven years old and there kill him, and by that means their minds and all their being become acquainted with the idea of blood, so that when they are grown they may have so evil a custom. It is a curious thing that they generally buy many blacks or slaves for that purpose, and if one cannot do it, or has no wealth for the purpose of buying a black or slave in order that he may kill him alone, he unites with others, and thus many together buy said black. One buys the right to give the first lance-thrust or stab, another the second, another to take away a quarter of the head, another another bit of it, another half the head—according to the amount of the capital of each one—and he who wounds him with greater ferocity, that one has the best lot. I will relate a matter in regard to this, which happened to me when I was vicar of Abucay. Once I had about five little Zambal lads in the convent whom I was teaching to pray and read. It happened that the fathers of three of them came to see them, and that gave the children, who were seven or eight years old, a desire to return to Playa Honda with their fathers. I gave them permission, for their parents begged it of me. I did not give permission to the other two, and, consequently, they remained in said convent with me. While the other little fellows were returning in company with their fathers and passing by Mariyumo, which is a visita of Mariueles, it happened that the Indians of that visita, who are also Zambals and but very little different from those of Playa Honda, had that day caught a black of the mountain, whom they were about to kill on the following day. The Zambals and the children, their sons, stayed for the feast in celebration of the killing of the black. For their joy in being present at a death of any person in such a manner is as great as it is for Spaniards to attend a zarza or play or all to play at ring.[9] That news came to the ears of the children, who remained under my care in Abucay, two months afterwards. They were told of the feast which their three companions had had in the village of Mariyumo when they were at the killing; and so great was their sorrow that they had not returned on that past occasion with their three companions that they began to bewail their lack of luck because they had not returned with their companions so that they also might have been present at the killing. Hence, one can infer their so great inclination for this vice, for those who have never seen nor known any better customs learn to kill from early childhood. And in case that anyone has entire information concerning the peace and quiet into which the Christians come by means of the Catholic faith, since they have to live among Indians of such customs, they must always have death in their hands or before their eyes, for one can trust no one, since they do not trust themselves. For every step that they take is at the risk of their lives. Often they kill from necessity, as they believe, so that they may not be killed, as happens when they see in their rancherías any person or persons whom they do not know. Since they do not know whether such persons are about to kill them, they anticipate them and take away their lives, but it is more usual to kill for revenge and to make oneself feared and famous in this matter. There are many of them who, when they have committed fifteen murders, place on the hams of the legs certain strings of a small white fruit of an herb which they call bantacan. When they have killed seventeen persons, they place the said fruit very close together in the manner of a rosary which they call tigdin. When the number has reached more than nineteen, they take away said fruit and in its place wear certain very highly colored sigueyes. But it is to be noted that, although twenty men take part in one murder, in order that they may wear that regalia, which they consider as tabi,[10] each one claims said murder as his, as if he had done it alone. They also generally tie a long narrow strip of anahao, or palmleaf, on the hilt of their dagger or yua. That token shows that he who carries it was the first one to strike the person that was killed on that occasion. Notwithstanding the abovesaid, if anyone goes to their rancherías in company with another Zambal of their number, he is sufficiently safe although he might be still safer at Manila.
Of the change which we see today in these Indians
He who considers their barbarous customs, idolatries, superstitions, and the natural and great inclination for killing which these Indians possess, and in which they have been reared; and hears of the so great change and the difference which exists at present in all their customs, when compared to those that they possessed in their recesses and rancherías: will easily understand that already God is walking among them, and that He has already taken pity on the souls and wishes them for Himself. The immortality of the soul has already been explained to these Indians in their mother tongue; as has also the reward which God has for those who keep His commandments and those of our holy mother Church, and the punishment reserved for those who break them, and that, for as many sins as man commits he has to take his punishment in this life or in the next; and the unity of God, His eternity, and at the same time that which the Christian man must believe in order to be saved.
It has been father Fray Domingo Escalera who has already learned their language, and has gone communicating it from one to the other, until there are now very few who do not understand this. When said father explains to them something of which they have not heard, all look at one another, as if surprised to hear what they are hearing. I have not had the capacity to do as much as the said father, but I have managed to explain it also in the Tagálog tongue to those who understand it. But they do not understand many things, and I cannot tell them to them. Consequently, I trust, God helping, that said father will produce great fruit among these Indians, as he has learned their language. These Indians did not observe any festivals or Sunday, or Lent, or vigil, or Friday. Consequently, although there are many Christians baptized from childhood, it was the same as if they were heathen, and there was no difference between heathens and Christians. Having explained to them on one occasion the seriousness of the sin of breaking feast days, one of them went to the mountain and one Sunday while cutting some bamboos he hurt his foot. The rumor spread among the Indians that God had punished that Indian because he worked on Sunday, and from that time they have observed feast days and Sundays. On another occasion, namely, Ash Wednesday, the said father told them that they ought to abstain from eating meat throughout Lent, and that God would punish whoever broke said precept. Next day an Indian went hunting, and having killed a carabao calf, while he was cutting it up and carrying it to his house or to the village, the mother of the calf came out of the thicket and killed the Indian. Thereupon, the father took occasion to again charge them to abstain from meat during Lent, Friday, and vigil. All through Lent there was scarcely one Christian or heathen who dared to eat meat. For about eight months we lived in a small house which had scarcely room for the two beds of two religious. We had three Indians of Abucay who built us another larger house where we could live with some freedom. There was no Indian who would be so kind as to aid them in their customs in anything, until they saw that the presidio of the Spaniards which is located twelve leguas from the village where we united these Indians, had already about forty men, and as soon as they heard the arquebuses in Buquil, which was ten leguas from the said village, they moved quickly, and no longer answered a dry “no quiero” [i.e., “I will not”], for whatever we commanded them, as they had before answered us all the time. I have already said above that the devil had discredited the rosary of the most holy Virgin, our Lady, among these Indians, and although some had rosaries which some faithful ones or religious had given them, in order to incline them to that holy devotion, yet no one of them could recite it, for there was no one who knew anything of the prayer. They only kept it in order to show it to those who went to trade and traffic at their rancherías, in order that they might consider them as Christians, as it is a kind of affront among them not to be a Christian. On the contrary they believed that nothing good would happen to them if they wore the rosary about their necks. But seeing the esteem which we had for those sacred beads, and that in their sicknesses when they asked us for any remedy for their attacks in which we do not apply any other medicine except the sacred rosary, and when they recognize that they recover miraculously from their illness by the use of the rosary alone, they believe that the devil had deceived them, and are growing very fond of this holy devotion, so that now very many of the married men, the single youth, indeed, the old men, wear the rosary about their necks, some recite it in their houses, and others attend church morning and afternoon to recite the rosary with the lads, and very many of them already know the whole prayer, and recite it at night in their houses in a loud voice. They formerly obeyed no one, but now they show great respect to their gobernadorcillos, to their chief, and to the old men, so that, if they are seated anywhere and their gobernadorcillo arrives, they all rise, and no one sits or covers his head until his gobernadorcillo is seated. Father Domingo Escalera has lived for a short time with the Indians of Nuebo Toledo, since they were gathered together. Having come to the said village during the last days of the past Lenten season, and seeing the so great change that God had produced in them, he said: “At the rate with which God is changing the hearts of these Indians, they will be better Christians than those of Masinloc before ten years’ time, although said Indians of Masinloc have been Christians for more than sixty years.” When we reached their districts in the beginning, the children and even the women fled from us, but today the women are very affable and those who have anything to wear go to church and scarcely can we keep the children away from us. When we go to the village, they come down from their houses and accompany us, and we can scarcely walk, because they seize us by our habits, and place their scapularies before our eyes. Every morning and afternoon they go to the church to pray and to hear mass. Before mass we recite the rosary, and after mass the whole prayer. In the afternoon we leave the church in the manner of a procession in two choirs, and the father sings the prayer and they answer until the prayer is finished. And on entering the church again candles are lighted to our Lady, and the holy rosary is also recited.