These three measures are most used in handling timbers and boards in the construction of buildings.

Cloth for breechcloths is measured by the length of the forearm, being wound about the elbow and through the hand, quite as one coils up a rope.

Long distances in the mountains or on the trail are measured by the length of time necessary to walk them, and the length of time is told by pointing to the place of the sun in the heavens at the hour of departure and arrival.

Rice sementeras are measured by the number of cargoes of palay they produce.  Besides this relatively exact measure, sementeras producing up to five cargoes are called “small,” pay-yo’ ay fa-nig’; and those producing more than five are said to be “large,” pay-yo’ chuk-chuk’-wag.

Measurement of animals

The idea of the size of a carabao, and at the same time a crude estimate of its age and value, is conveyed by representing on the arm the length of the animal’s horns.

The size of a hog and, as with the carabao, an estimate of its value is shown by representing the size of the girth of the animal by clasping the hands around one’s leg.  For instance, a small pig is represented by the size of the speaker’s ankle, as he clasps both hands around it; a larger one is the size of his calf; a still larger one is the size of a man’s thigh; and one still larger is represented by the thigh and calf together, the calf being bent tightly against the upper leg.  To represent a still larger hog, the two hands circle the calf and thigh, but at some distance from them.

The Bontoc Igorot has no system of liquid or dry measure, nor has he any system of weight.

The calendar

The Igorot has no mechanical record of time or events, save as he sometimes cuts notches in a stick to mark the flight of days.  He is apt, however, in memorizing the names of ancestors, holding them for half a dozen generations, but he keeps no record of age, and has no adequate conception of such a period as twenty years.  He has no conception of a cycle of time greater than one year, and, in fact, it is the rare man who thinks in terms of a year.  When one does he speaks of the past year as tin-mo-win’, or i-san’ pa-na’-ma.

Prominent Igorot have insisted that a year has only eight moons, and other equally sane and respected men say it has one hundred.  But among the old men, who are the wisdom of the people, there are those who know and say it has thirteen moons.

They have noted and named eight phases of the moon, namely:  The one-quarter waxing moon, called “fis-ka’-na;” the two-quarters waxing moon, “ma-no’-wa,” or “ma-lang’-ad;” the three-quarters waxing moon, “kat-no-wa’-na” or “nap-no’;” the full moon, “fit-fi-tay’-eg;” the three-quarters waning moon, “ka-tol-pa-ka’-na” or “ma-til-pa’-kan;” the two-quarters waning moon, “ki-sul-fi-ka’-na;” the one-quarter waning moon, sig-na’-a-na” or “ka-fa-ni-ka’-na;” and the period following the last, when there is but a faint rim of light, is called “li’-meng” or “ma-a-mas’.”