The times., 1898-06-26

was painted white, blue and gold. and
decked with plumes of snowy feathers.
As my business in the Philippines was to
collect plants on the mountains OF Soutn
Palawan, ] left Manila by the first steam
er taking two natives as personal serv-
ants One of them. named Minico, was
very small not more than feet in height,
but brave enough, nevertheless. Ny fell
Iow-passengers numbered seven. One Of
them. a gentleman of martial aspect, ad-
dressed in my best Spanish:
1T is fine day. captain
''Senor." ne answered, giving his mus
tache an upward twist. you mistake L
am a colonel" And he turned on his heel.
There our acquaintance began and ended
The Spaniard is so seldom discourteous-
at least. TO Europeans-that fear he was
scarcely a good sample. Possibly. how
ever, Admiral Dewey has by this time
taught the colonel better manners
Steaming past the Calamianes Islands,
we eventually anchored at Marangas, in
Palawan. which was my destination.
The settlement comprised two small
houses inhabited by Cinnamon, and a
stoekade less than a hundred yards
square. containing a hut for the officer in
command, one for the garrison of thirty
soldiers and another for stores. At ev-
cry corner of the stockade rose a watch
tower, thatched with '.alang-alang' grass,
occupied night and day by sentries with
loaded rifles. lest the ''Moros,' as the
Spaniards call the natives. should attempt
a surprise.
/ advise no one to visit this Palawan
settlement unless obliged. There was
scarcely any food 10 be had for love or
money. Mosquitoes swarmed they do
nowhere else on earth. | think. One
morning / counted thirteen alligators
marching in a troop along the beach
toward the mouth of small river. Ants.
millions of them, We're everywhere-in the
soup, the ia i'm, my bed, my shirt, on the
table-whereYer an ant can crawl. A
species more venomous never encounter
ed. My Manila men suffered terribly.
Scarcely an inch of their bodies escaped,
and the wounds, if rubbed, suppurated like
smallpox. To crown all. Marangas is no
torious for a special kind of fever of the
most virulent character. Half the gar
rison were down while j was there and
their commander was hardly ever well.
The Cinnamon were engaged in the
'fDamar" trade. which Is carried on in
rather a peculiar manner. The Sultan
will not allow the nauves Of the inte-
rior to sell their resin to the Celestials
direct; they must dispose of it to the
Sulus who dwell on the coast, and thest
trade with the Cinnamon. As may be
supposed. the poor natives are plundered
shamefully.
Having arranged with Lo Chang, tht
principal Chinese merchant. for the use
OF a hut, / paid a visit TO Lieut.. Garcia
the officer in charge of the stockade HI
invited me to a vino -tinto and a cock
fight. The latter 1 should have preferred
to decline but II was soon over and per-
haps cock lighting is eXcusable in Pala-
wan. II appeared TO be the soldiers only
recreation. except potting alligators
The next day ] called upon Paduka
Majasari Maulana Amiril Maumnin, Sui
tan Muhammad Harum Narassid. Iane
de per Tuan. ex-Sultan of the Sulu Isl
ands, once the home the most blood.
thirsty pirates that ever sailed the China
Sea, which is saying great deal Or
arriving at the royal village of Bolini.
Bolini which comprised the palace
and half dozen ruinous huts of bamboo
my presence was announced by a great
stroke. which brought out the master o.
the ceremonies. Invited to step within,