es. They are by no means savages, and they are not entirely
strangers to domestic life. A great many Christian families of El Abra
and Ilocos Sur are of _Tinguian_ origin, and I may mention here that
the Ilocano dominated natives have the just reputation of being the
most industrious Philippine people. For this reason, Ilocano servants
and workmen are sought for in preference to most others.

The _Basanes_ are a very timid people who inhabit the mountains of
Mindoro Island. They have long, lank hair and whitish faces, and do
not appear to be of one of the original races. They are occasionally
met with (when they do not hide themselves) in the cordillera which
runs north-west to south-east and then ends off in two spurs, between
which, after passing Mount Halcon, there is a large valley leading
to the southern shore. The _Manguianes_, another Mindoro wild tribe,
come to the coast villages sometimes to barter, and bring pieces of
gold for the purpose. They also wear gold jewellery made of the metal
extracted by themselves.

There is another race of people whose source is not distinctly
known, but, according to tradition, they descend from the Sepoys who
formed part of the troops under British command during the military
occupation of Manila in 1763 (_vide_ p. 88). The legend is, that these
_Hindoos_, having deserted from the British army, migrated up the
Pasig River. However that may be, the sharp-featured, black-skinned
settlers in the Barrio de Dayap, of Cainta Town (Morong district),
are decidedly of a different stock to the ordinary native. The notable
physical differences are the fine aquiline nose, bright expression,
and regular features. They are Christians--far more laborious than the
Philippine natives, and are a law-abiding people. I have known many of
them personally for years. They were the only class who voluntarily
presented themselves to pay the taxes to the Spaniards, and yet,
on the ground that generations ago they were intruders on the soil,
they were more heavily laden with imposts than their fellow-neighbours
until the abolition of tribute in 1884.

There are also to be seen in these Islands a few types of that class
of tropical inhabitant, preternaturally possessed of a white skin
and extremely fair hair--sometimes red--known as _Albinos_. I leave
it to physiologists to elucidate the peculiarity of vital phenomena
in these unfortunate abnormities of Nature. Amongst others, I once
saw in Negros Isla