Part 8 (2/2)

There is a great deal of rice grown in the Philippines. Rice is the food that most of the people live on.

There are buffaloes in the Philippines. The people use them for riding and for carrying loads. They have also deer, goats, and hogs.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A Buffalo at Work.]

In some parts of the islands they have a strange way of fis.h.i.+ng. They fill baskets with a kind of mixture in which they put poison. Then they throw the baskets into the water. The fish become stupid after eating the poison. Very soon they rise to the top of the water, where the people catch them.

Manila is a large town with strong walls and a deep moat, or ditch, around it. There are eight gates in the wall and bridges across the moat.

The men in Manila wear trousers and s.h.i.+rts; but they wear the s.h.i.+rts outside. The women wear skirts with long trains, and waists with very full and flowing sleeves. They wear scarfs or handkerchiefs around their necks, with two of the corners hanging down their backs. They never wear hats.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Women of Luzon.]

In a few of the islands there are schools, and the children learn to read and write; but in many other parts there are neither schools nor churches. As the islands now belong to the United States, there will soon be many more schools, and the children will be able to learn everything that is taught in our schools.

BANGALA

Far away in Africa, near where the pygmies live, there is a great river called the Kongo. The land on either side of this river for many miles is called the Kongo Valley.

There are hundreds of miles of great woods in this valley. These woods are not like our woods. They are very thick with vines and plants.

There are also a great many kinds of trees.

In the woods are birds with very bright colors. There are birds called sunbirds. Often green, yellow, scarlet, and purple feathers are found on these birds. What a pretty sight it must be to see them flit about in the sun!

There are also many kinds of pretty flowers in the woods. These flowers are as gay in color as the birds.

Many tribes of negroes live in the Kongo Valley. They live in huts made of mats. The mats are made of strong gra.s.s. The gra.s.s is first twisted into cords. Then the cords are braided into mats.

The people also use mats for their beds; but they do not put the mats on the ground. They tie them to a frame raised a little above the ground.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Kongo Negroes at a Mission School.]

These negroes also make baskets, bowls, pots, and wooden spoons. The bowls and pots they make out of clay.

It is very warm all the year round in the Kongo Valley. So the people wear very little clothing. They rub their bodies with palm oil.

They have a funny way of wearing their hair. While they are young their hair is braided. Then it is twisted into all sorts of knots and shapes. They do not untwist it, but keep it so always. They think these queer knots and shapes are very pretty.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A Kongo Village.]

The women do all the hard work. They cook the food. They do the other housework. They plant the corn and beans.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Headdress of Kongo Women.]

The men spend a great deal of time in fis.h.i.+ng. They also hunt and kill elephants to get their tusks for ivory. There are many elephants in the Kongo Valley. They roam about in large herds. It must be a hard task to kill an elephant!

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