In the letters written by Father GISBERT in 1886, are many references to the religious practices of the Bagobo, from which the following are extracts: 

“The feast which they hold before the sowing is a criminal and repugnant trago-comedy.  The tragical part is the first thing that is done.  When they have assembled in the middle of the woods * * * they tightly bind the slave whom they are going to sacrifice.  All armed with sharp knives, leap and jump about their victim striking him, one after the other, or several at one time, amid infernal cries and shouts, until the body of the victim sacrificed has been cut to bits.  From the place of the sacrifice they then go to the house of their chief or the master of the feast, holding branches in their hands which they place in a large bamboo, which is not only the chief adornment but the altar of the house in which they meet * * * The principal part is reserved for the old man or master of the feast, he standing near the bamboo which I have mentioned above, holding the vessel of wine in his hand, and, talking with his comrades, addresses the great demon called Darago, whose feast they are celebrating, in the following words:  ’Darago, we are making you this feast, with great good will and gladness, offering you the blood of the sacrifice which we have made and this wine which we drink so that you may be our friend, accompany us, and be propitious in our wars.’ * * * * * * * * * * *

“When they marry, if the lovers think that it will be of any use they make a human sacrifice so that they may have a good marriage, so that the weather may be good, so that they may have no storm, sickness, etc., all things which they attribute to the devil.  In the same way also when they learn that there is any contagious disease, or fear death, several of them assemble and make a human sacrifice, asking the devil to let them live, since they generously offer him that victim.  They also believe that the disease can be conjured.  But the time that it is necessary to make a sacrifice, according to the law of the Bagobos, is at the death of anyone of the family, before they can remove the lalaoan or mourning * * * At the point and on the day assigned, all the sacrificers assemble, or possibly one member of each of the families who are in mourning, at times fifty or more.  The value of the slave sacrificed is paid among them all, and he who pays most has the right to sacrifice first."**

**In BLAIR and ROBERTSON, Vol.  XLIII. pp. 244-51, will be found a very interesting letter from FATHER GISBERT, in which he describes the sacrifice of a Bagabo[sic] half-blood who had fallen in debt.

The official files in the Governor’s office at Davao contain an account, written by Gov.  Bolton, of the sacrifice at Cataloonan, July 1, 1904.  This was held to secure the return to health of Chief Obo, who later died.

[Transcriber’s note:  The two paragraphs immediately above both comprise a single footnote.]