The Head Hunters of Northern Luzon by Cornélis de Witt Willcox
page 74 of 183 (40%)
page 74 of 183 (40%)
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In about half an hour we reached the right bank of the river, where
we off-saddled, crossing by a trolley platform; the horses were swum over, and the kit carried by the _cargadores_ on their heads. My _cargador_ must have gone down, for when I got my gear later it was soaking wet. On the other side we began to climb, and sharply; we now could look back on Kiangan. Rounding the nose of a gigantic, buttress-like spur, covered with _camote_ patches, we descended to a small affluent of the Ibilao, where we halted and rested, and, crossing it, again began to climb, the trail being cut out of the side of another gigantic spur. At last we reached the top, to find a new deep, steep valley below us, and just across, only a few parasangs away, Andangle. But it was far more than a few parasangs by the trail, for we had to go completely around the head of the valley, mostly on the same contour. Andangle itself is barely more than a name, but we found here a house of bamboo and palm fresh built for us, tastefully adorned with greens and plants, and protected by _anitos_, resembling those of Kiangan. Like nearly all the other places visited by us, it was finely situated, the mountains we had just ridden through forming a great amphitheater to the north. Our stay here was uneventful. There is really little to record or report. This branch of the Ifugaos impressed me as being a quieter [29] lot than the people we had just left and apparently fonder, if possible, of speech-making. For speeches went on almost without intermission, all breathing good-will and declaring the intention of the people to behave in a lawful manner and promising to have done with killing and stealing. There were many women and children, the children very shy. Of weapons there were none. Dancing went on uninterruptedly the whole |
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