Dapitan
Rizal congratulates Dr. Meyer on his excellent article on the Negritos — Birds and other animals — Would like a Mathematics books in French in exchange — Study of the Subanos, Moros and mountain tribes — Anthropometric data — Case of instruments of craniometry — Thanks for mentioning him in an ethnographic work — The Tagalog grammar is finished — Comparative dictionary of dialects — Friend Mr. Kuntstscherff — Explanation of the bamboo case of Joest.
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Dapitan, 31 July 1894
Dr. A.B Meyer
MY DEAR FRIEND DR. MEYER,
It was impossible for me to answer you letter and thank you for your excellent work on the Negritos sooner because the package was not delivered to me on the same day of the arrival of the boat. Thanks then and I congratulate you on the success of you excellent work.
This time I send you through Mr. Schadenberg a box containing three birds, one head of a wild deer, the skin and skeleton of a tingaog, a kind of cat that produces musk, a fish and some insects. Their names are written on them. I leave to you to estimate their value: if they seem to you worth anything send me books for them; and if not, we remain friends as ever. I should like to have a treatise on Mathematics in French. I beg you to let me know always if the remittances arrive there in good condition.
I await anxiously my liberty so that I can live a few weeks among Subanos, the mountaineers, and Moros of this island. I am convinced that there is still much to be studied. Count on a good remittance of heads for anthro-…
If you think that I can still have a small case of instruments of craniometry for my birds, fishes, etc., I should prefer it certainly. An interesting study of the Mindanao races could be useful. Many thanks for having mentioned me in your work. I have finished my Tagalog grammar. When I shall be free, I will publish it. I am planning to prepare a grand dictionary of the languages or dialects of the Philippines. A comparative dictionary of these languages with texts in English, French, or Spanish would be desirable. But for this I need my library which is in Hong Kong.
My regards to our dear and good friend Mr. Kunstscherff.
With reference to the famous bamboo of Mr. Joest, permit me not to share entirely your opinion. It seems to me that the bamboo really is used for keeping papers, for even now the same thing is found in Zamboanga. The bamboos for keeping lime, betel, etc. are a little larger and are generally made of horn. For this reason I suppose that the bamboos of Mr. Joest are the remains of two bamboos which seem broken and that is the reason why they do not fit together. I agree with you entirely with regard to the designs: They are wholly decorative. I have been promised similar bamboos. You’ll have one.
I greet you affectionately,
JOSE RIZAL
02-823 [Blumentritt V.2]