The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-11
CEDED TO
GERMANY
Spain Gives the Kaiser
One Of Sulu Islands.
MOHAMMEDAN DYNASTY.
Spain Seized Islands to Protect
Other Possessions.
PoLYGAMY AND DRUNKENNESS.

by Spain to Germany. The cable from
Manila calls this island "Yolo in the
Sulu Islands" Now, the spelling Sulu
and Yolo are only two among many
variations (others being Sooloo, Soulou
and Soulak) In the original Spanish
name of Jolo. which is given not only
TO an archipelago, but to its largest
island, whereon Is the capital and the |
seat of government. 1t is safe to as
sumo, therefore, that the island of Sulu, |
in the Sulu archipelago, is the one that
is meant
The archipelago consists OF some 140
islands, most of them very small, and
divided into three groups, named re-
spectively after the three principal ISL
ands, Baseelan. I'm the northeast; Sulu,
in the ce atre, and Tawu-Tawa, IN the
southwest. The whole chain OF the
Sulus is practically a continuation or
the southwestern promontory or Min
danao the second largest of the Philip
pine islands.
AREA AND POPULATION.
The area of the Sulu group is esti-
mated at 1948 square miles and It's
population at $4,000, mostly Mohamme-
dams. Sulu itself stretches 80 miles
from east to west, with breadth or
from five to ten miles. The whole ter
ritory was for centuries under the sway
of a despotic dynasty of sovereigns,
founded in the early days. when Mo-
hammedanism first penetrated among
the Malay islanders. They ruled over
an oligarchy of datos. or species or
feudal lords. who in their turn gov
erned large clans of vassals. Com
merce. proselytism to the Mohammedan
religion, and more especially piracy,
occupied the activities OF these gentry.
But their enterprises frequently
brought them into conflict with the
Spanish and the Dutch The Suluans.
excellent sailors with piratical souls.
ravaged the coasts of the neighbcring
islands in the Philippine group, de-
stroying the pueblos of the inhabitants
and carrying them off into slavery.
Time and time again did Spanish
feet swoop down upon the Sultan at
Sulu. Time and time again the Span
iards were victorious and dictated trea-
| ties of peace. But the moment the
| fleets had sailed away the treaties were
| broken, the old trade of piracy was re-
| sumed. The sultans had no power to
| restrain the fierce datos scattered over
| $50 isles and islets. They had just au-
| thori.y enough to enforce payment of
| their third share i'm all the booty seized
| Moreover, this authority derived all it's
| sanction from the religious sense. and
4 they would have lost all prestige if
| they had attempted TO enforce upon
| Mussulmans any respect for the rights
OF the semi Catholic Philippines.
ANNEXED THE WHOLE GROUP.
| Finally in 1851, the Spaniards con-
| ouered the island of Sulu, which they
| have since continuously held, and I'm
| 1878 added the rest of the archipelago
to their possessions. Since then Sulu
| has once more become the capital OF
the group. The sultan is still allowed
| to exercise a nominal authority, but
| Spain has been the real master. He
| gets an annual revenue of 1900 francs,
| or a little over $1,000. and on this sum
In contentedly able to keep up a GER
tain amount of state.
But his restless subjects have always
chafed under an alien yoke, which has
interfered with their favorite pursuit
of piracy. Their discomfort Is con-
tinually fomented by the panditas, OF
Mohammedan priests, who feel humil-
lated by the presence of Catholic monks
| and missionaries. The datos have
therefore never lost an opportunity t.
resist, as far as possible, the encroach'
ments of Spain. The domestic laws ol
Sulu make 1t easy for them to obtair
| vassals who are bound to them body
and soul. An insolvent debtor and hi
whole family, according to .nese laws
| become the property of MS creditor
The shiftlessness of the Malays Is 81
| great that their masters find no diff
| Guilty i'm making them contract debt
| out of all proportion to their resources
The unhappy debtor no longer belong
TO himself. His family can be dis
persed all over the archipelago. Blu
| frequently he Is asked to purchase hi
| family at the price of vowing his Owl
| life TO the destruction of the Christians
He accepts these terms, he seals then
l t.~l.t I.. I,s,
comes what Is known in Malay as
sabil in Spanish as juramentado
lone who Is sworn"
KEEP UP A SPORADIC WAR.
Through these juramentados a sor
| Of sporadic warfare has been kept "a
against the Spaniards, and not unit
recent times has even the capltal CIV.
of Sulu been safe from irruptions an
! riots.
The greater part OF the island of Sui
shows n volcanic origin. Large block
Of lava are found on the seashore. 4
the beds OF rivers, and a short distanc
below the surface OF the earth every
where. But that surface is extremel
fertile. Forests abound i'm teak. san
daIwood and other timber. Cocoanu
trees bananas. mangoes and orange
are plentiful. Wild boars and deer an
common. and the domestic animals an
found everywhere. Trade ana com
merce are almost exclusively In IN
hands of the Spanish and Chinese SCI
| tiers.
The main occupations of the island
ers. since they have been forcibly r.
deemed from piracy. are agriculture
But many devote themselve.- 80 the CO
lection and sale Of edible birds nest
and TO the pearl fisheries. Many of tf
natives I'm the larger cities and the
neighborhoods are wealthy. and live
n certain barharic state. Their house
are rudely but comfortably constructe
OF bamboo and other wood. made IN
pervious TO the weather by interlace
bamboo leaves. or straw.
MEASURE OF SOCIAL PRoMI-
NENCE.
Being Mohammedans. the men ai
polygamous. The prominence OF W
individual r. determined by the nun
| t,o, ~ hfe wives Nor - he very Pal