The population in 1873 was estimated at over six millions, viz. paying tribute, 5,501,356, and independent pagans, 602,853. The population has rapidly increased. In the early part of the 19th century, from the collective returns recently made out by the district magistrates, the total number of tributes were 386,654, which Walton multi plied by 6f, and produced the sum of 2,515,406, at which he estimated the total population, in cluding old men, women, and children :—Indians of both sexes, 2,395,687; Sangley Mestizos, 119,719 ; Sangleys, 7000; whites of all classes, 4000. The following is now given as the popula tion in 1791, 1810, and 1873: .1791. 1810.
Indians, 1,582,761 2,395,687 5,501,356 tributaries. Mestizos, 66,917 119,719 602,853 independents.
1,649,678 2,155,406 6,104,209 In 1740, Manilla had only 6000 or 7000 inhabit ants ; in 1864 it was stated to have had 80,000; and in 1873 the population of Manilla was 230,407, as under :— I European Spaniards, 4,189 Chinese Mestizos, 46,066 European Foreigners, 250 Spanish Mestizos, 3,849 Chinese,. . . . 15,157 Pure natives, . . 160,8th6 The Aheta or Negrito of the Philippines are a Papuan race, the second name, meaning little Negro, being given to them by the Spaniards; but that of Ita or Abets, so pronounced but written Ajeta, is their usual appellation among the planters and villagers of the plains. The woolly-haired tribes are more numerous in the Philippines than in any other group of the Indian Archipelago; they were estimated by M. Mallet, in 1842, to amount to 25,000. The Wands Samar, Leyte, and Zebu have not any of them ; but they were found in Negros, Mindanao, Mindoro, and Luzon. In the early accounts of them by Spaniards, they are described as being smaller, more slightly built and less dark in colour, than the Negroes of Africa, and as having features less marked by the Negro characteristics, but as having woolly instead of lank hair ; and their social con dition could not then have been much better than now, since they were described as living on roots and the produce of the chase, and as sleeping in the branches of the trees, or among the ashes of the fires at which they had cooked their food. They are all well-formed and sprightly, but very low in stature, as they rarely exceed four feet and a half in height. They are ebony-black, like Negroes of Africa. Their hair is woolly like that of the Papuans. A line commencing to the east of the Philippine Islands, thence along the western coast of Gilolo through the island of Bouru, and curving round the west of Flores, then bending back by Sandalwood Island to take in Pratti, will separate the Malayan and all the Asiatic races from the Papuans and all that inhabit the Pacific, though along the line of junction intermigration and commixture have taken place.
The higher slopes, the Ysarog (Issaro) of the island of Luzon, are occupied by a small race, called erroneously Ygarrot. On the death of a near relative, the head-man of the house is said to kill any individual at random.
The Indian race arc superstitious, credulous, fond of gaming, and particularly addicted to cock fighting. This seems to have been introduced by the Spaniards, and in the year 1779 cock-fights were taxed for the first time. The Indians of the Philippines are among the best-favoured of the Asiatic islanders, but they are not reckoned so brave as the Malays. They are a quiet, inoffensive race, clean and well-shaped, and are all converted to the Romish faith. The sailors of the Philip pines are so dexterous, that they are taken almost exclusively in the other islands as steersmen, and as such have a preference in many parts of the east.
Sulu was for many years the market where the Lanun and other pirates disposed of much of their plunder, and in former times itself was decidedly piratical. The Muhammadan religion has made much progress in Mindanao and the Sulu Islands, as has the Malay language, the usual channel through which it has at all times been propagated over the islands of the Indian Archipelago.
In the Philippines are many separate nations or tribes, speaking distinct languages, unintelligible to each other. Of these, the Bisayo, Bicol, Ilocano, Pangasinan, Pampango, and Tagala are the most important. The principal languages of Luzon are the Tagala, the Pampangl; the Pangasinan, and the Iloco, spoken at present by. a population of 3,000,000; while the Bisaya has iNvide currency among the southern islands of the grOt-p,Leyte, Zebu, Negros, and Panay, containing 2,000,0013 people. The languages and their dialects in Luzon are the Aetai, Apayo, Bicol, Bisaya, Cebuano, Dadaya, Gadan, Ibilao, Idayan, Ibanag, Ifugao, Ilocano, Igorotte, Itanes, Ilongotte, Malaneg, Pan gasinan, Pampanga, Suflin, Tagala, Tinguian, Zambal, spoken by about 4,700,000; those in italics being the most important, being spoken by about 3,000,000. The languages of Mindanao are Bisaya and Manday, spoken by about 100,000. The languages of the distant islands are the Agutaino, Carolino, Chamorro, Calamiano, Coyuvo, and Ibanag, spoken by about 30,000.