NEGRITOS OF ZAMBALES
Physical Features
The characteristics which serve more than any others to distinguish
the true Negrito from other inhabitants of the Philippines are his
small stature, kinky hair, and almost black skin. His eyes may be more
round, his nose more short and flat, and his limbs more spindling than
is the case with peoples of Malayan extraction, but these features
are usually less noticeable. Perhaps undue emphasis has been given by
writers on the Negrito to his short stature, until the impression has
gone abroad that these primitive men are veritable dwarfs. As a matter
of fact, individuals sometimes attain the stature of the shortest
of the white men, and apparently only a slight infusion of Malayan
blood is necessary to cause the Negrito to equal the Malay in, height.
The Aeta of Zambales range in stature from 4 to 5 feet. To be more
exact, the maximum height of the 77 individuals measured by me, taking
them as they came, with no attempt to select, was 1,600 millimeters
(5 feet 2 inches); the maximum height for females was 1,502 millimeters
(4 feet 11 inches); the minimum height for males was 1,282 millimeters
(4 feet 2 inches), for females, 1,265 millimeters (4 feet). The average
of the 48 males measured was 1,463 millimeters (4 feet 9 inches);
of the 29 females, 1,378 millimeters (4 feet 6 inches). There is
perhaps no greater variation between these figures than there would
be between the averages of stature of as many individuals selected
at random from any other race. Yet it should be remembered that some
of the Negritos included in this list are not pure types--in fact,
are no more than half-breeds.
The abnormal length of the arm of the Negritos has been regarded by
some writers as an essentially simian characteristic, especially in
the case of the pygmy blacks of Central Africa. With the Aeta this
characteristic is not so marked, yet 7 out of 8 males had a reach or
span greater than the height. The proportion was not so large among
the females, being only 2 in 3. The maximum span for males was 1,635
millimeters, for females 1,538 millimeters, but in neither case did the
individuals having the greatest span also have the greatest height. The
average span of 48 males exceeded the average height by 37 millimeters;
the difference in the case of the females was only 16 millimeters.
Length of arm was taken on only 19 individuals, 16 males and 3
females. The longest arm measured 675 millimeters (2 feet 3 inches),
which is not so long as the average Caucasian arm, though more out
of proportion to the height, in this case being nearly half the
latter measurement. The shortest arm, that of an adult female, was
539 millimeters (21 inches).
So far from being ape like in appearance, some of the Aeta are
very well-built little men, with broad chests, symmetrical limbs,
and well-developed muscles hardened by incessant use. This applies
of course only to the young men and boys just approaching manhood,
and is especially noticeable in the southern regions, where the Aeta
are generally more robust and muscular. The younger females are also
as a rule well formed. In the case of unmarried girls the breasts are
rounded and erect, but after marriage gradually become more and more
pendant until they hang almost to the waist line. With advancing age
the muscles shrink, the skin shrivels up until an individual of 40
to 50 years usually has the decrepit appearance of an octogenarian;
in fact, 50 is old age with the Aeta. (See plates.)
Anthropometric observations fall naturally into two groups, dealing
with the proportions of the head and body, the latter of which have
already been discussed. Great interest attaches also to the relative
proportions of the different dimensions of the head and especially
to the cephalic index obtained by multiplying the maximum breadth
by 100 and dividing by the maximum length. Heads with an index of
75 or under are called _dolichocephalic;_ those between 75 and 80,
_mesaticephalic;_ and those over 80 _brachycephalic._ The beads of the
Aeta are essentially _brachycephalic._ Owing to the lack of proper
calipers during the greater part of my stay among them, I was able
to measure only 19 individuals, but of those all but 5 were in the
_brachycephalic_ group, one instance being noted where the index was
as great as 92; the lowest was 78. The average of the males was 82
and of the females 86.
Considerable importance in anthropometry is attached to the study
of the nose. The typical Aeta nose may be described as broad,
flat, bridgeless, with prominent arched alæ almost as high as the
central cartilage of the nose and with the nostrils invariably
visible from the front. The nasal index obtained by dividing the
nasal breadth by the height from the root of the nose to the septum
and multiplying the quotient by 100 serves to indicate the group to
which the individual belongs. Thus it will be seen that races with a
nasal index of more than 100 have a nose wider than it is long. This
is a marked characteristic of the Aeta. Of the 76 Aeta I measured,
25 were _ultraplatyrhinian_--that is, had a nasal index greater than
109. One individual, a female, showed the surprising index of 140.7,
the greatest so far recorded to my knowledge. The greatest nasal
index among the males was 130.7. Only one example of a _mesorhine_
nose was noted, also of a female, and but 7 _platyrhine._ The most
of them belonged in the _hyperplatyrhine_ group. The following table
will show the proper classification of the individuals measured by me:
Nasal index of Zambales Negritos
Group Sex and number
Males Females
Mesorhine (69.5-81.4) -- 1
Platyrhine (81.5-87.8) 3 4
Hyperplatyrhine (87.9-108.8) 27 16
Ultraplatyrhine (109 and over) 51 10
The shape of the eye varies from the round negroid of the pure bloods
to the elongated mongoloid in the case of mixed types. The color of
the eyes is a very dark brown or black. The lips are medium thick, far
less thick than the lips of the African negro, and are not protruding.
The hair of the Aeta is uniformly kinky in the case of the pure
types. Individuals were noted with other negroid features but with
curly hair, showing a probable mixture of blood. The hair grows low
on the forehead and is very thick. Eyebrows are not heavy, save in
particular instances, and beard is very scanty, though all adult
males have some beard. There is very little body hair on adults
of either Sex, except in the axillary and pubic regions, and it is
scant even in these places. The northern Negritos have practically
none in the armpits. Two or three old men were seen with a coating of
hair over the back, chest, and legs. The head hair is uniformly of a
dirty black color, in some instances sunburned on top to a reddish
brown. It turns gray at a comparatively early age, and baldness is
frequent. (See Pls. XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI.)
In the case of women the hair is generally allowed to grow long,
and in this tangled, uncombed state furnishes an excellent breeding
place for vermin. However, if the vermin become troublesome the hair
is sometimes cut short. (See Pl. XVII.) The cutting is done with
the ever-useful bolo or sharp knife and is a somewhat laborious and
painful process. Sometimes the hair may be cropped behind and left
long on top. This is a favorite style of wearing it among the men,
and is frequently followed by the women. Attempt is seldom made to
comb the hair, but frequent vermin-catching onslaughts are made, the
person performing the work using a sharp piece of bamboo to separate
the tangled kinks and to mash the offending parasite against the
thumb nail. In Bataan the Negritos sometimes shave a circular place
on the crown, but I am not informed as to the reason. The practice
is not followed in Zambales.
The color of the skin is a dark chocolate brown rather than black,
and on unexposed portions of the body approaches a yellowish tint of
the Malayan. The loathsome skin disease common in the northern region
of Luzon gives it a mottled appearance.
The Aeta have practically no prognathism. The hands are not large, but
the feet are larger in proportion to the size of the body than those
of Filipinos. The toes are spreading, and the large toe frequently
extends inward so much as to attract attention, though this can not be
said to be a marked characteristic of all individuals. It may be caused
by a constant practice of the tree climber--that of grasping a branch
between the large toes and the other toes. I have seen Negrito boys who
would use their feet in this respect as well as they used their hands.
Permanent Adornment
The custom prevails throughout the entire Negrito territory of
sharpening the teeth. Usually only the upper teeth are so treated, but
numerous cases were noted where the teeth were sharpened both above
and below, and still there were others where they were not sharpened
at all. This sharpening is not performed at any certain age, and it
is apparently not obligatory; I do not believe parents compel their
children to submit to this practice. The object seems to be largely
for the sake of adornment, but the Negritos say that sharpened teeth
enable them to cat corn with greater ease. The sharpening is done by
placing the blade of a bolo against the part of the tooth to be broken
away and giving it a sharp rap with a piece of wood. The operation,
called "ta-li-han," is a somewhat delicate one, requiring care to
prevent breaking through into the soft part of the tooth and exposing
the nerve, and is no doubt practiced by only one or two persons in
a group, though this fact could not be ascertained. Notwithstanding
this mutilation, the teeth seem to be remarkably healthy and well
preserved except in old age.
In like manner each group of people possesses its scarifier, who
by practice becomes adept. Scarification simply for purposes of
ornamentation is not practiced to any great extent by the Negritos
around Pinatubo. They burn themselves for curative purposes (see
Chap. VI) and are sometimes covered with scars, but not the kind
of scars produced by incisions. Only occasionally is the latter
scarification seen near Pinatubo. In regions where it is common the
work is usually done at the age of 15 or 16, although it may be done
at any age. The incisions are made with a knife or a very sharp piece
of cane, and generally follow some regular design. Scarification is
called "ta-bád," and it has no other significance than adornment. The
parts of the body usually marked are the breast, shoulders, and back,
although scars are occasionally seen on the legs.
Clothing and Dress
The clothing of the Negrito consists simply of the breechcloth and an
occasional cast-off shirt given him by some Filipino in exchange for
articles. Sometimes in cases of extreme prosperity he may possess
a hat and a pair of trousers. The latter garment is usually worn,
however, only by the chief man or "capitán" of the tribe, and the
rank and file wear only the breechcloth.
A strip of cloth fastened around the waist and extending to the
knees serves a woman for a dress. With unmarried girls this strip
may be wound under the arms and so cover the breast. Rarely a short
camisa is worn, but seldom do the camisa and the saya, or skirt,
join. Sometimes, owing to the scarcity of cloth, a narrow strip will
be worn over the breast, leaving a broad expanse of dark skin between
it and the saya. (Pls. XXIX et seq.)
If given their choice among a variety of colors the Negritos always
select black for their breechcloth and saya, because, they explain,
the black will not show dirt as will other colors. Gaudy colors seem
to attract and will be readily accepted as gifts if nothing else is at
hand; yet I had some difficulty in disposing of a bolt of red cloth I
had taken among them, and finally had to take the greater part of it
back to the pueblo and exchange it for black. So far as I could learn
the breechcloth and saya are never washed, and any cloth other than
black would soon lose its original color. The cloth used by Negritos
is procured in trade from the Christian towns.
In the less easily accessible regions where the wilder Negritos live
the breechcloth and saya are made of the inner bark of certain trees
which is flayed until it becomes soft and pliable.
The Negrito takes little pride in his personal appearance, and hence is
not given to elaborate ornamentation. The women wear seed necklaces,
called "col-in'-ta," of black, white, and brown seeds, sometimes of a
single solid color and sometimes with the colors alternating. I have
also seen necklaces of small stones, hard berries of some sort, pieces
of button or bone, and little round pieces of wood. Some women possess
glass beads secured in trade from the Christianized natives. Often two
or three white or black beads are used for ear ornaments, though it is
not a very common practice to puncture the ears for this purpose as in
Bataan, where leaves and flowers are often worn stuck in a hole through
the lobe of the ear. What appears to be a necklace and really answers
the purpose of such is a string of dried berries, called "a-mu-yong',"
which are said to be efficacious for the pangs of indigestion. (See
Pl. XXXV.) When the Negrito feels a pain within him he pulls off
a berry and eats it. One may see a string with just a few berries,
and again a complete necklace of them, evidently just put on. These
are worn by both sexes and are so worn for the sake of convenience
as much as with the idea of ornamentation, for the Negrito has no
pocket. Necklaces of fine woven strips of bejuco or vegetable fiber
are sometimes seen but are not common. These strands are woven over
a piece of cane, the lengthwise strands being of one color, perhaps
yellow, and the crosswise strands black, giving a very pretty effect
and making a durable ornament which the Negritos call "la-lao'."
Hair ornaments are not generally worn, but nearly every Negrito,
male and female, especially in southern Zambales and Bataan,
possesses one or more of the so-called combs of bamboo. A single
style prevails over the entire Negrito territory, differing only
in minor details. A section of bamboo or mountain cane, varying in
length from 5 to 10 inches, is split in thirds or quarters and one of
these pieces forms the body of the comb. Teeth are cut at one end and
the back is ornamented according to the taste of the maker by a rude
carving. This carving consists simply of a series of lines or cuts,
following some regular design into which dirt is rubbed to make it
black. The combs may be further decorated with bright-colored bird
feathers fastened with beeswax or gum to the concave side of the end
which has no teeth. The feathers may be notched saw-tooth fashion
and have string tassels fastened to the ends. In lieu of feathers
horsehair and a kind of moss or other plant fiber are often used. The
most elaborate decorations were noticed only in the north, while
the combs of the south have either no ornamentation or have simply
the hair or moss. These combs, which the Negritos call "hook'-lay,"
are made and worn by both men and women, either with the tasseled and
feathered ends directly in front or directly behind. (See Pl. XXXVI.)
Leglets of wild boars' bristles, called "a-yá-bun," are more common
in the south than in the north. These are made by taking a strip of
bejuco and fastening the bristles to it so that they stand out at
right angles to the leg of the wearer. They are used only by men and
are worn on either leg, usually on the right just below the knee. The
Negritos say these leglets give the wearer greater powers of endurance
and are efficacious in making long journeys less tiresome. "For is
not the wild boar the most hardy of all animals?" they ask. This idea
is further carried out in the wearing of pieces of boars' skin with
the hair attached, which may often be seen tied around the legs or
wrists. Deerskin, which is quite as common among the Negritos, is never
used in such fashion. Metal rings and bracelets are entirely unknown
among the Negritos except where secured from the coast towns. (See
Pl. XXXVII.)