[17] This was evidently the belief of some of the old
voyagers. Navarette, whose account of his travels in 1647 is published
in Churchill's Collection of Voyages, 1704, said that the people
called "Zambales" were great archers and had no other weapons than
the bow and arrow. Dr. John Frances Gemelli Careri, who made a voyage
around the world, 1693-1697, says in his report (Churchill's Voyages,
vol. IV): "This mixing [that is, of Negritos] with the Wild _Indians_
produced the Tribe of _Manghian_ who are Blacks dwelling in the Isles
of Mindoro and Mundos [probably Panay], and who peopled the Islands
_de los Negros,_ or of Blacks. Some of them have harsh frisled hair
like the _African_ and _Angola_ blacks. * * *
"The _Sambali,_ contrary to the others, tho' Wild have long Hair,
like the other Conquer'd _Indians._ The Wives, of these Savages
are deliver'd in the Woods, like She Goats, and immediately wash
themselves and the Infants in the Rivers, or other cold Water; which
would be immediate Death to _Europeans._ These Blacks when pursu'd
by the _Spaniards,_ with the sound of little Sticks, give notice to
the rest, that are dispers'd about the Woods, to save themselves by
Flight. Their Weapons are Bows and Arrows, a short Spear, and a short
Weapon, or Knife at their Girdle. They Poison their Arrows, which are
sometimes headed with Iron, or a sharp Stone, and they bore the Point,
that it may break in their Enemies Body, and so be unfit to be shot
back. For their defense, they use a Wooden Buckler, four Spans long,
and two in breadth, which always hangs at their Arm.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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