s flock in the true path. Under a
Philippine hierarchy there would be a danger of the natives reverting
to paganism and fetichism. There have been many indications of that
tendency from years back up to the present. Only a minority of native
Christians seem to have grasped the true spirit of Christianity. All
that appeals to the eye in the rites and ceremonies impresses
them--the glamour and pomp of the procession attract them; they are
very fervent in outward observances, but ever prone to stray towards
the idolatrous. A pretended apparition of the Blessed Virgin is an old
profitable trick of the natives, practised as recently as December,
1904, in the village of Namacpacan (Ilocos), where a woman, who
declared the Virgin had appeared to her in the _form_ of the Immaculate
Conception and cured her bad leg, made a small fortune in conjunction
with a native priest. In May, 1904, a small party of fanatics was seen
on the Manila seashore going through some pseudo-religious antics,
the chief feature of which was a sea-bath. Profiting by the liberty
of cult now existing, it is alleged that the spirits of the departed
have made known their presence to certain Filipinos. A native medium
has been found, and the pranks which the spirits are said to play
on those who believe in them have been practised, with all their
orthodox frolic, on certain converts to the system. Tables dance
jigs, mysterious messages are received, and the conjuring celestials
manifest their power by displacing household articles. The _Coloram_
sect of the southern Luzon provinces has, it is estimated, over
50,000 adherents whose worship is a jumble of perverted Christian
mysticism and idolatry. The _Baibailanes_ of Negros are not entirely
pagans; there is just a glimmer of Christian precept mingled in their
belief, whilst the scores of religious monomaniacs and saint-hawkers
who appear from time to time present only a burlesque imitation of
christian doctrine.

Great progress has been made in the direction of _Education_. [283]
Schools of different grades have been established throughout the
Archipelago, and the well-intentioned efforts of the Government have
been responded to by the natives with an astonishing alacrity. Since
September 3, 1900, night-schools have also been opened for students
to attend after their day's work. The natives exhibit great readiness
to learn, many of them having already attained a very high standard--a
fact which I had th