The Wild Tribes of Davao District, Mindanao | Page 5

whom she had two children, who
later returned to these parts and were well received, being considered
not only as friends but as brothers of the Bagobo."
[1] Recorded by P. Juan Doyle, S. J.
Salingolop was succeeded by his son Bato who, in turn, was followed
by Boas, Basian, Lumbay, Banga, Maliadi, and Taopan. Until we come
to this last mentioned ruler we learn little more of importance, but at
the beginning of his rule, we learn that the Bagobo had become a
powerful people. Under his leadership they made frequent forays into
neighboring districts and returned with many slaves and rich loot. The
datu[1] was noted as a brave warrior, but in addition to this he was a

wise and just ruler, greatly beloved by all his people. When he died
more than one thousand of his subjects attended the funeral which
lasted ten days. On the last day the house was decked, inside and out,
with red and yellow flowers; many valuable gifts were placed beside
the corpse, and the place was then abandoned.
[1] The Moro name for chief or ruler. The Bagobo name is lagaimoda
or matanem, but the Moro term is in general use.
He was succeeded by his son Pangilan, whose administration, like that
of his father, was firm and just. Upon his death he bequeathed the
leadership of a united people to his son Manib. The new datu did not
prove to be a great warrior and his decisions in matters of dispute were
not always just, so that bad blood arose between the people of Cibolan
and Talun. He was unable to quell the disturbances, and finally open
warfare broke out, petty chiefs of other districts throwing off his
control and ruling as datu. This was the condition which confronted the
present ruler, Tongkaling, when he found himself ruler of Cibolan.
The claims of leadership over all the Bagobo had never been
relinquished, but the actual power of the datu outside his own district
amounted to little. Tongkaling soon established his right to the name of
a great warrior, and his people so prospered under his rule that upon the
advent of the Americans he was much the most powerful among the
several chiefs. Under the administration of Governor Bolton,
Tongkaling was officially recognized as head of the Bagobo, and with
this added prestige, he has finally succeeded in gaining recognition
from all the chiefs except those about Santa Cruz, but his actual control
over them is still very slight. He has been a consistent friend of the
Americans, but has jealously guarded his people against outside
influences, so that they are much less affected than those of other
districts. For this reason we shall, in this paper, use Cibolan as a type
settlement, but where radical differences occur in other districts they
will be noted.
PHYSICAL TYPE.[1]
[1] This subject will be treated fully in a separate publication.

An idea of the general appearance of the Bagobo can best be obtained
by a study of the accompanying photographs. Plates II-VIII.
Measurements were made on thirty-three men and fifteen women. The
maximum height of the males was found to be 164.8 cm.; minimum
149.8 cm.; with an average of 158.6 cm. For the women the maximum
was 152.8 cm.; minimum 141 cm.; average 147.3 cm.
The cephalic indices of the same individuals showed 84.5 as the
maximum, 74.3 minimum, and 78.8 the average for the males. The
maximum for the females was 83.1, minimum 76.2, average 80.7. The
average length-height index, taken from the tragus to the vertex, of the
same persons, was 69.8--maximum 75.6, minimum 65.1 for the men;
and for the women 73.1--maximum 76.6, minimum 70.2-.
The face is long, moderately broad, and the zygomatic arches are
seldom prominent. The forehead is high and full with supra-orbital
ridge slightly developed. The crown and back of the head are rather
strongly arched. The people are seldom prognathous, yet individuals
are met with who are markedly so (Plate V).
The lips are full and bowed; the chin is round and well formed. The
root of the nose is depressed; the ridge broad and generally inclined to
be concave, although straight noses are not uncommon. The nasal
wings are moderately broad and arched or swelled. The eye slits are
oblique and moderately open, showing dark or brown-black eyes. The
hair is brown-black and generally slightly wavy or loosely curled,
while in some cases it is found curled in locks. Women comb their hair
straight back and plaster it with cocoanut oil, but even this does not
prevent stray locks from creeping out. Both face and body hairs are
scanty and are generally removed, yet occasionally a man is seen who
has cultivated a few hairs into a fair semblance of a beard.
The Bagobo,