lasts.  Their only natural property is the bow and arrow.  The Bissayas through natural compassion have not destroyed these blacks, who are not hostile to them, although they have little dealing with the Bissayas.  While I was in Tigbauan, however, a petty war occurred between them which is worth relating for what it shows of such wars among these nations, and their triumphs and trophies.  A Bissayan chief, who lived in his solitary house among the mountains, distant from the villages, had a friendship—­or, for all I know, a relationship—­with a leading Negrillo, who was also headman among his people.  Under the cover of this friendship, the Negrillo took his opportunity, as I shall relate, to do a treacherous act.  He came one day, as he had often done before, to pay a visit to his friend, who received him as such and gave him food and drink—­an act which should soften the most bloodthirsty heart, even if he had been offended.  But the Negrillo, without heeding the obligation imposed by kind deeds or by the good-will with which they had been conferred upon him, seized his host unawares, and took his life, also slaying all the other members of his family—­men, women, and children.  His crime, however, did not go unpunished.  A spirited young man, son of the dead man—­not daring alone to avenge himself upon the black, who had been reenforced by others of his own color—­assembled his kinsmen and friends; besides these [so many joined him that] all the villages of the island were depopulated, in order to fall upon the Negrillos—­all eager to enslave the women and children, this being a great source of wealth among those people; they accomplished their purpose, killing many men.  This lasted until the matter became known to the royal officials in that region, who pacified them.  At the entrance of some of the villages, I saw the trophies of this victory and some of the slaves.  The trophies were thus made:  one of the large canes, already described, very tall, was driven into the ground.  At its point were two, or three, or more pendent bannerets like streamers or pennants, and on them the hair of the dead foes.  These blacks have had very little to do with the Spaniards, not so much through hate as from fear and mistrust of them.  It has already happened that Spaniards, unaccompanied and straying from the road, have fallen into their hands; but with a few presents and fair words they have been allowed to go free.  They also fear the priests as being Spaniards, making no distinction between them.  For this reason we could not undertake their conversion, although they were near to the villages of Tigbauan; on this account all our energy was directed towards the Bissayas alone.