ly in the Psalms. In the relations
of man with woman, woman with man, or woman with woman, they are very
careful--even when they are quite equals, and, too, among the middle
class--to use, after every important word, nothing but "my Lord," or
"my Lady;" as, "My Lord, as I was coming up the river, I saw, my Lord,"
etc. This term and pronoun are used as agreeable and even affectionate,
even in the languages of much greater importance, as Hebrew, Greek,
and Latin, which are the three most venerable tongues. In polite
and affectionate intercourse they are very extravagant, addressing
letters to each other in terms of elaborate and delicate expressions
of affection, and neat turns of thought. As a result of this, they are
much given to musical practice; and although the guitar that they use,
called _cutyapi_, is not very ingenious or rich in tone, it is by no
means disagreeable, and to them is most pleasing. They play it with
such vivacity and skill that they seem to make human voices issue
from its four metallic cords. We also have it on good authority that
by merely playing these instruments they can, without opening their
lips, communicate with one another, and make themselves perfectly
understood--a thing unknown of any other nation. The Bissayans are
more rustic and less civil in manners, just as their language is
harsher and less polished. They have not so many terms of courtesy,
as formerly they had no letters until, a very few years ago, they
borrowed theirs from the Tagalos. As we have already treated of their
languages, it would be advisable to make some mention of their letters.

Of the Letters of the Filipinos. Chapter XVII.

All these islanders are much given to reading and writing, and there
is hardly a man, and much less a woman, who does not read and write
in the letters used in the island of Manila--which are entirely
different from those of China, Japon, and India. This will be seen
from its alphabet, which is as follows:

The three vowels serve as five, and are:

A I O
a e i o u

The consonants are only twelve, and in writing are used with the
vowels in the following form.

The letter alone with no point above or below it, is pronounced with
the vowel-sound A:

BA KA DA GA HA LA MA NA PA SA TA YA
Ba ca da ga ha la ma na pa sa ta ya

By placing the point above, each is pronounced with the vowel-s