House of Taga
  • Home
  • Prehistory
  • Colonial Period
  • World War II
  • Miscellany
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Prehistory
  • Colonial Period
  • World War II
  • Miscellany
No Result
View All Result
House of Taga
No Result
View All Result
Hans Hornbostel on Saipan

A Chamorro pugilist
with a Cockney accent

Lexi Zotomayor by Lexi Zotomayor
3 years ago
in Colonial Period
3 min read
0 0
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via e-Mail

A veteran of the Spanish-American War and WWI, and a scholar, Hans Hornbostel, in the early 1920s, was tasked to photograph, map the Mariana islands, and gather specimens for the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in Honolulu when he began working there in 1922 as a collector. While on Rota, as he was getting acquainted with the terrain, he went to the heart of the jungle where he ran into a retired fighter who identified himself as Juan Manibusan.

Hornbostel was surprised to hear the man speak in Limehouse (cockney) accent.

In his article for the Philippine Magazine (March 1935 issue), Hornbostel said Manibusan spoke in “the best Limehouse cockney I had had the privilege of listening to for many a year.”

Describing Manibusan, Hornbostel said he was a very old man who had a full head of hair—white hair.

Deep of chest, broad shouldered, narrow hipped, his whole upper body was covered with patches of white hair. The hair on his head was thick and was also white, and although he was a very old man, he still carried himself well. His flesh was firm, and his skin healthy, and he seemed to have retained much strength in spite of his age. I noticed that his nose was badly battered and that his ears were cauliflowered.

“Rota Days,” Philippine Magazine, March 1935. p. 157

He found out that Manibusan had lived in London for many years and his passport out of the islands was his recruitment as crew member of an English whale ship that anchored off island in his youth. Manibusan narrated to Hornbostel that he had had a fight with another crew member who suffered severe blows from him. Upon reaching London, having experienced first-hand Manibusan’s pugilistic prowess, Manibusan’s fellow crew member arranged for the Chamorro fighter to enter bare-knuckle fights and he would be his manager. Manibusan toured across Great Britain winning fights. With a slew of victories under his belt, he earned the nickname “South Sea Island Bruiser.”

Not long after, Manibusan fell in love with a barmaid in Limehouse. He married and had a family. Later, when he became a widower, and his children all grown up and married, he decided to come home to Rota.

Having been back on island, Manibusan would have been a perfect companion to Hornbostel as he was conducting his work. Hornbostel, however, was disappointed that the prized fighter who had seen the world, was hesitant to take him to the eastern end of Rota where the trinchera taotaomona mona (ancient fort) was because of superstition. Manibusan refused to go there because he didn’t want to trespass the area haunted by spirits who were not his relatives. He believed he would get punished should he dared to do so.

Hornbostel could not believe how a whaler such as Manibusan, who had sailed far and wide, had married an English woman, had been raised a catholic, “was still held by ancient taboos which made it impossible for him to know his little island—such is the power of superstition.”

Hornbostel had no choice but to ask his landlord Juan Taitano if he could guide him. It took a lot to convince him and what happened after was a remarkable discovery for Hornbostel, Taitano and the others who went with them. (To be continued)

[CAPTION: Hans Hornbostel poses with locals on Saipan in this undated photo. Photo courtesy of Hans Hornbostel grandson Andy Airiess.]

NOTE:

*Major Hans Hornbostel was advertising manager of the Philippine Magazine in Manila for several years before WWII. From time to time, he and his wife Gertrude would contribute an article to the publication.

Philippines Herald columnist Salvador Lopez praised Hornbostel’s article on Rota as “honest and realistic, written in a vivid style that in places is eloquent and lyrical, but only because it is authentic.”

NOTE: Having resigned from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1922, Hans Hornbostel began working for Bernice P. Bishop Museum in Honolulu as an anthropologist and was based on Guam with his wife Gertrude, son Earl and daughter Gertrude Hilde. His second daughter, Johanna was born on Guam in 1923. He conducted studies in the Marianas in 1924-1926.

ShareTweetSend
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

Navy 1957 report: TB a major health issue in the Pacific

Next Post

Hans Hornbostel discovers
Rota's quarry

Lexi Zotomayor

Lexi Zotomayor

She lived on Saipan, in the Northern Marianas Islands for 11 years as a full-time print journalist, PR specialist, magazine manager and advertising agency's production coordinator. She was active with Stellar Marianas, a non-profit organization that has been empowering young women in the Marianas. In 2014, she was chair of the media relations committee of the 70th Anniversary of the Battles of Saipan/Tinian. For her support of environmental causes, including the campaign for the designation of a vast swath of submerged lands and water in the Marianas as a national marine monument, she was Pew/Ocean Legacy Engaged Citizen Awardee in 2008. She has a BA degree in Asian Studies and was close to completing her MA in Asian Studies when she relocated to Saipan in 2004. She was a recipient of a scholarship grant from the Jose Rizal-Sun Yat Sen Society in 1994.

Related Posts

Hans Hornbostel on his way to Saipan
Colonial Period

Japanese governor brought home a wife

by Lexi Zotomayor
June 3, 2022
0
39

The Japanese governor of the islands had been widowed so he took a special trip to Japan to find himself...

Read more
How Hans Hornbostel met Gregorio Sablan in the 1920s
Colonial Period

How Hans Hornbostel met Gregorio Sablan in the 1920s

May 25, 2022
53
Obyan Beach latte site
Colonial Period

What Alexander Spoehr found
on Obyan Beach

June 10, 2020
240
Guam
Colonial Period

Guam’s prewar ‘Recorder’

June 9, 2020
235
House of Taga
Colonial Period

Hans Hornbostel goes to Saipan (1924)

June 9, 2020
431
Gertrude Hornbostel
Colonial Period

Trudis Alemån’s liberation
from Santo Tomas camp

June 2, 2020
280
Next Post
Illustration of a latte stone by Hans Hornbostel

Hans Hornbostel discovers
Rota's quarry

How Rota’s geography helped preserve Chamorro culture

How Rota's geography helped
preserve Chamorro culture

skull

Hans Hornbostel hid
notes, maps in skulls

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Chamorros from Yap migrated back home in 1946, 1948

Chamorros from Yap migrated back home in 1946, 1948

June 22, 2019
2 groups of early Marianas settlers

2 groups of early Marianas settlers

June 2, 2020
Ancient Chamorro teeth

What do Pre-Latte Chamorros, Vikings and Native Americans have in common? Dental modification.

June 5, 2019
Remarkable prewar Japanese structures on Saipan

Remarkable prewar Japanese structures on Saipan

June 3, 2019
Chamorros from Yap migrated back home in 1946, 1948

Chamorros from Yap migrated back home in 1946, 1948

2
Hornbostels in Manila, 1942-1945

Hornbostels in Manila, 1942-1945

1
WWII veteran-airman: ‘Do something for the country’

WWII veteran-airman:
‘Do something for the country’

0
Hans Hornbostel on his way to Saipan

Japanese governor brought home a wife

0
Hans Hornbostel on his way to Saipan

Japanese governor brought home a wife

June 3, 2022
How Hans Hornbostel met Gregorio Sablan in the 1920s

How Hans Hornbostel met Gregorio Sablan in the 1920s

May 25, 2022
Obyan Beach latte site

What Alexander Spoehr found
on Obyan Beach

June 10, 2020
Guam

Guam’s prewar ‘Recorder’

June 9, 2020

Ad:

ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
e-Mail us at hafadai@houseoftaga.com

© 2019 House of Taga
Alexie Zotomayor
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

No Result
View All Result

© 2019 House of Taga
Alexie Zotomayor
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.