14 March 1895

Dapitan

Little difference between the wild boar and the domesticated hog — Dr. Joest’s bamboo object may have been a tool for betel nut chewing — Rizal is sorry he can no longer send specimens — He is very busy with so many patients — Possible change of his place of deportation.

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Dapitan, 14 March 1895

DR. A. B. MEYER

MY DEAR AND ESTEEMED FRIEND,

Your letter of 15 December arrived here some days ago and I see that in spite of my good will the remittances do not arrive as they should.

The head of the wild boar is a genuine head of wild boar. You will see that there is no ground to doubt it. However, one ought to note that between the wild boars and the domesticated hogs that are found here very little difference can be distinguished that would place the question in doubt. Either the wild boars of this country are no more than the domesticated hogs that have reverted to savagery or the domesticated hogs are nothing more than domesticated wild boars. These are the questions that can very well be asked. The wild boars that come every night to eat my coconuts differ little from those that I have at home. The only difference lies in the color, the leanness, the length of the canine teeth, and the hair,

l. The “tarsius” already appears here and when I find an opportunity I shall send you one. We have neither armadillo nor porcupine. Antlers I can send you but I’m afraid that you’ll find them also as ordinary as the others for they are like the Manila antlers.

I have received here the following books:

2 volumes (French) Mathematics

1 volume Natural History Collector

1 volume German Vocabulary

1 volume Preparation and stuffing (of birds)

1 volume Malay Grammar

1 volume Kurschner’s Lexicon

I beg you to kindly tell me the price of these books so that I’ll know how much I’m already indebted to you. Because I hope to leave this place soon and since I don’t know where I shall be transferred, so I should not request you for more books. Leave aside also the small craniometer instrument. I believe they wouldn’t allow me to leave them to the Subanos.

With regard to the bamboo of Dr. Joest, I believe that it is very possible that it was used for betel chewing, the more so if you find lime in it. What the present inhabitants of this island have for this purpose are boxes made of carabao horn which look like this: [sketch] In Luzon the old people have also bamboo but only for mixing and chopping areca nut, betel, etc. It looks like this:

bamboo [sketch] iron or steel handle

The betel leaf together with areca nut and lime are placed in it and with the iron stick they are crushed and ground so that the toothless also can afterwards enjoy the chewing.

Without being aware of it I had written you in German. In order to answer your letter in a dignified manner, I wrote you in the same language in which your letter was written.

Permit me, my dear friend, to ask you once more to excuse me for some time. For the present I am so busy with so many patients. They want to change the place of my deportation and I am in such confusion that I cannot devote myself to collecting as I should like. When everything shall be in order, I’ll resume collecting.[1]

While waiting, I remain as ever your sincere friend and devoted servant,

Jose Rizal

01-844 [Family]