Philippine progress prior to 1898, by Austin Craig and Conrado Benitez.

86

PHILIPPINE PROGRESS PRIOR TO 1898

manufactured artillery, but they certainly used cannon of iron and
bronze before the advent of the Spanish, at which time the Mindanao
tribes held strongly fortified positions-defended with cannon.
These fortifications consisted of earthworks and stockades, sometimes surrounded by morasses. Such were the defences of the town
of the Chief Rahamora when Legaspi attacked it. This town consisted of four thousand houses, and, having destroyed it, the victorious Spaniards built on its site, in 1571, the city of Manila. The
poison used for the sarbacan darts was either derived from certain
trees, or, it is said, from the saliva of a green lizard (chacon). The
natives are said by Morga to have used this poison in order to kill
the Spanish, for whom they had conceived a most bitter hatred.
The Manobos and Zambals were the most savage tribes. The
Manobos surprised their enemies while asleep, slaughtered the men,
and enslaved the women and children. The priest opened the
breast of the first victim with the sacred knife, took out the heart,
and ate it. This tribe also sacrificed slaves to the god of war, to
whom the color red was sacred. They were also head-hunters,
and hung these trophies to the roofs of their houses. The Zambals,
a fierce and savage tribe, were also head-hunters, as their name
signifies, and were in the habit of extracting and eating the brains
of slain enemies. Among the Ifugaos the lasso is said to have been
used as a weapon.
In regard to marriage customs, there was one peculiar form
worthy of observation. When a man wished to marry he went to
live with his prospective father-in-law, thus becoming a member
of the household, and as such he worked at whatever duties were
imposed upon him. This lasted sometimes for several years. If
the family became dissatisfied with him he was dismissed, but if
all went well he paid over to the parents what was known as "the
price of the mother's milk"-that is, a compensation for the rearing
of his wife. During the probationary period the young man assumed
the name of bagontao, and the girl that of dalaga. They were much
given to the practice of divination during the period of the wedding
festivities, which lasted for several days. Although polygamy did
not exist in a legal sense, yet concubinage was common. The first
woman married, however, was the only legitimate wife (inasaba).
To the inferior wives were assigned the various domestic labors,
the milking of the carabao-cows, and the rearing of ducks, swans,
geese, and pigeons. The women, in paying visits or in walking
abroad, were attended by a following of maids and slaves. In various
tribes the Assuan, an evil deity, was supposed to exercise an evil influence over women in labor, and at such atime the husband mounted
the house-roof, or stationed himself, before the door, and, with lance
or dagger in hand, cut, and slashed vigorously at the air in order to
drive away the dreaded spirit. Among these people also obtained
that strange and world-wide custom known among anthropologists
as the couvade the origin of which it is difficult to conjecture. In
China and Africa, in Egypt and South America, in Malabar and
Corsica, among the Basques, Caribs, Burmese, and many other
races, this singular custom of simulated maternity seems to have
originated independently.