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.)
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