The Spell of the Hawaiian Islands and the PhilippinesAnderson, Isabel
History
The Spell of the Hawaiian Islands and the Philippines
Anderson, Isabel
Hawaii; Philippines
We had a glorious week at Topside, Governor Forbes's attractive
bungalow, and speedily became as enthusiastic in our praises of Baguio
as every one else who has ever been there. I rode all day long on Black
Crook, the most perfect polo pony in the world, through the mists and
the sunlight and into the rainbow shades of the setting sun, where the
clouds turned the colour of cockatoos' wings and the tints of the fish
from the China Sea.
"Cloud Maidens that float on forever,
Dew-sprinkled, fleet bodies, and fair,
Let us rise from our Sire's loud river,
Great Ocean, and soar through the air
To the peaks of pine-covered mountains
Where the pines hang as tresses of hair."
I played my first polo game at Baguio on the club grounds. Squash Pie,
Calico Pie and other delightful names were given to the native ponies,
which are small but very strong.
We went to the government stock farm, where they are trying experiments
in breeding horses. They had a native pony there that had been well fed
and taken care of for some time, in order to show the difference between
it and the forlorn animals that one might see anywhere in the towns. The
native Spanish pony has greatly degenerated. At this farm they had a
beautiful Arabian stallion and a Morgan stallion from Vermont. It is
said that the first generation of American horses does well in the
Philippines, but after that the climate and the change in food cause
them to deteriorate. Besides, they are rather too big for mountain
cavalry. The Arabian stallion and the native mare are said to breed the
best kind of horse for this country. Black Scotch cattle and Australian
cattle, which are raised at the government farm, do well. Sheep do not
pay, for, to begin with, there is no market for the wool. Goats do well,
and goats' milk is in great demand. The natives use principally the
carabao and the native cattle, which look like small Jersey cows but are
not very good.
Another day, Mrs. Whitmarsh, from Boston, gave us a tea in a little
house hung with orchids and Japanese lanterns, and we visited Mr.
Whitmarsh's gold mine. Some of us went on horseback down into the valley
to see the tunnels. We washed a pan of ore in the brook and found at the
bottom little fine gold specks. The Benguet Igorots have mined gold for
centuries.
[Illustration: IGOROT SCHOOL GIRL WEAVING.]
At Baguio we visited missionary and government schools and Camp John
Hay, where Captain Hilgard gave us a reception. At the government school
the Igorot boys are taught, among other things, to make attractive
mission furniture, while the girls learn to weave, and very pretty
things they make. These girls wear short blue skirts and little jackets,
and have their hair in two long black braids that hang on either side of
their faces. A Turkish towel, worn as a turban, on which to rest
burdens, seemed to be the fashion in head gear with them. Loads are also
carried by the Igorots on their backs, hung by straps over the forehead.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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