The times., 1898-06-28
THE PHILIPPINE MALAYs.
The Fierce. Fanatic, and Fearless
JuramentadOs.

L
and Granada the same ancient hatreds
have brought European Spaniards and
Asiatic Saracens into the-same relentless
antagonism that sWayed then in the days
OF the Cid and Ferdinand. says the Revue
des DeuX MOndes OF Paris The island
of Sulu. on account of its position be-
tween Mindanao and BorGeo. was the
commercial. political and religious center
of the followers of the Prophet the
Mecca of the extreme Orient From tins
center they spread over. the neighborinS
archipelagOes- Dreaded as merciiess
pirates and unfiiehing fanatics. they scat
tered everywhere terror ruin and DEATH
sailing in their light proas up the narrow
channels and animated with i-aplacable
hatred for those cOnquering invaders. 10
whom they never gave quarter and from
whom they never expected il. constantly
beaten in pitched battle they are constant
~ took again 70 the sea, eluding pursuit
Of the heavy Spanish vessels. taking
refuge in bays and creeks where no one
could follow them, piIiaging isloated
ships. surprising the villages. massacring
the old men. leading away the women
and the adults into slavery. pushing the
audacious prOws of their skiffs even up
10 within 800 miles OF Manila. and seizing
every year nearly 1000 captiyes-
Between the Malay creese and the Cas-
tilian carrOnade the struggle was unequal.
but il did not last the less long on that
account. nor obscure though It was was
il the less bloody. On both sides there
was the same bravery. the same cruelty.
1t required all the tenacity of Spain to
purge these seas of the pirates who in
Tested them. and it was not until after a
conflict of several years. and in 1876. that
the Spanish squadron was able 10 bring
its brOadsideS TO bear on Tianggi that
nest Of the Suluan pirates. land a di-
vision of troops. invest all the outlets
and burn up the town and its inhabitants.
as well as the harbOT. and all the craft
within It, The soldiers planted their
flag and the engineers built a new city
on the smoking ruins. This city is pro-
tected by a strong garrison For time,
at least. IL was al over with piracy. but
not with MOSlem fanaticism. which was
eXasperated rather than crushed By its
defeat To the rOyers OF The seas sue
ceeded the organization known as Jura-
mentados
One of the characteristic qualities OF
the Malays is their contempt OF death.
They have transmitted it, with their
blood, TO the Polynesians. who see in it
only one of the multiple phenomena and
not the supreme act OF existence, and wit
ness il or submit 70 II with profound Il
difference Travellers have often seen q
CanaqUe stretch his body on a mat. while
in perfect health and without any syn3D-
ton OF disease whatever and there wait
patiently for the end convinced that it
is near. and refHse all nOurishment and
die without any apparent suffering His
relatives say Of him: He feels he is go
ing 70 die and the imaginary patient
dies. his mind possessed by some illusion.
some superstitiOus idea. some invisible
wound through which 4fe escapes When
10 this absolute Indifference TO death is
united Mussulman fanatfCism which
gives to the believer a glimpse of the
gates Of a paradise where the abnormal
ly excited senses reveI in endless and
numberless enj0ym a longing for ex-
tincuiOn takes hold Of him and throws
him like wild beast on his enemies. he
stabs them and gladly invites their dag
gers in return. The juramentadO kills
for the sake Of killing and being killed.
and so winning. in exchange for a life Of
suffering and priyation, the v0luptuous
exizteE-e promised by MOhammed to his
followers.
The laws of Sulu make the bankrupt
debtor the slave of his creditor. and not
only the debtor; his family are ensIaved
also To free them there is only one
means left 10 the husband-the sacrf-
flee Of his life Reduced to this sextremi-
". he does not hesitate-he takes the for
midable oath. From that time forward
he is enrolled in the ranks OF the iura-
mentadoS. and has nothing 20 do but
await the hour when the will of a supe-
r.or shall let him loose upon the Chris
tians. Meanwhile the panditas or priests,
subject him 10 a system OF enthusiastic
excitement that will turn him into a wild
beast of the most formidable kind They
madden his already disordered brain.
they make still more supple his oily limbs
until tney have the strength of steel and
the nervous force OF the panther or the
tiger They sing 10 him their rhythmic,
impassiOned chants. which show to his
entranced vision the radiant smiles OF in
toxicating hours. In the shadow OF the
lofty forests, broken by the sleam of the
moonlight, they evoke the burning and
sensual images of the eternally young
and beautiful companions who are call
ing TO him. opening their arms TO receive
him. Thus prepared the juramentado is
ready for everything. Nothing can stop
him. nothing can make him recOil. He
will accomplish prodigies OF valOr.
Though stricken ten times. he will
main on his feet. will strike back. borne
along by a buoyancy that is Irresistible,
until the moment when death seizes him.
He will creep with mis- companions into
the city that has been assigned 10 him:
he knows that he will never leave 70. but
ne knows also that he Will not die alone.
and he has but one aim-to butcher as
An eminent scientist Dr. Montana. sent
on a mission to the Philippines by the
French government describes the entry
OF eleven juramentados into Tianggi. Di-
vided into three or four bands. they man
aged to get through the gates OF the
town. bending under loads of fodder for
cattle, which they pretended to have for
sale. and in which they had hidden their
creeses. Quick as lightning they stabbed
the guards. Then, in their frenzied
course. they struck all whom they met
Hearing the cry of Los juramentadosl'
the soldiers seized their guns. The jura-
mentados rushed on them fearlessly.
their creeses cIutched in their hands The
soldiers fell like hail among them. They
bent. crept glided and struck One of
them, whose breast was pierced through
and through by a bullet. rose and flung
himself on the troops He was again
transfixed by a bayOnet; he remained
erect Yainly trying to reach the enemy.
who held him impaled on the weapon.
Another soldier had TO run up and blow
the mans brains out before he let go his
prey When he last OF The juramentados
had fallen and the corpses We're picked
Up from the street which CONSERVATION
had rendered empty. il was found that
these eleven men had. with their crosses,
hacked fifteen soldiers TO pieces. not 10
reckon the wounded
And what Wounds exclaims DR.
Montana. THE head of one corpse is cut
off as clean as if il had been done with
the sharpest razor; another soldier is al
most cut in two The first of the wound
ed to come under my hand was a soldier
of the Third Regiment, who was mount
ing guard az the gate through which
some of the assaSsinS entered; his left