a man of specially
determined character.

Death at childbirth is very common, and it is said that 25 per cent. of
the new-born children die within a month.

Among the lowest classes, whilst a woman is lying-in, the husband
closes all the windows to prevent the evil spirit (_asuan_) entering;
sometimes he will wave about a stick or bowie-knife at the door, or on
top of the roof, for the same purpose. Even among the most enlightened,
at the present day, the custom of shutting the windows is inherited
from their superstitious forefathers, probably in ignorance of the
origin of this usage.

In Spanish times it was considered rather an honour than otherwise
to have children by a priest, and little secret was made of it.

In October, 1888, I was in a village near Manila, at the bedside
of a sick friend, when the curate entered. He excused himself for
not having called earlier, by explaining that "Turing" had sent him
a message informing him that as the vicar (a native) had gone to
Manila, he might take charge of the church and parish. "Is 'Turing'
an assistant curate?" I inquired. My friend and the pastor were so
convulsed with laughter at the idea, that it was quite five minutes
before they could explain that the intimation respecting the parochial
business emanated from the absent vicar's _bonne amie_.

Consanguine marriages are very common, and perhaps this accounts for
the low intellect and mental debility perceptible in many families.

Poor parents offer their girls to Europeans for a loan of money,
and they are admitted under the pseudonym of sempstress or
housekeeper. Natives among themselves do not kiss--they smell each
other, or rather, they place the nose and lip on the cheek and draw
a long breath.

Marriages between Spaniards and pure native women, although less
frequent than formerly, still take place. Since 1899 many Americans,
too, have taken pure native wives. It is difficult to apprehend an
alliance so incongruous, there being no affinity of ideas, the only
condition in common being, that they are both human beings professing
Christianity. The husband is either drawn towards the level of
the native by this heterogeneous relationship, or, in despair of
remedying the error of a passing passion, he practically ignores
his wife in his own social connections. Each forms then a distinct
circle of friends of his, or her, own selection, whilst the woman is
but slightly raised above her own class by the whit