Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-12-19

upon frenzy, he is then sent upon his mis-
sion. He usually goes naked or with a
broechclOth, in whose folds he carries one
or two short crcoses, sharp u needle and
keen as razor. The flutiugs on she
blade are often poisoned by immersion in
dccaying animal blood He enters the
camp, ship, town or house r. which he is
directed, and the moment ke approaches
the first CHristian his deadly work begins
! The knife Is drawn, the brocchcloth cast
away, and with IL spring like tiger lie IS
upon his victim. In his delirium he seems
to have the strength of ten men He il
never oycrpowcred. and he never stops his
muTderOus career until he IL killed or IN
capacitated by serious wound.
ION Corpus Christi day, in 1856, at
Coto Bato, four juramcntados sprang
from shed into crowd of Christians,
who We're watching the profession, and
before they were killed by the soldiers as
snssinated or wounded over so persons
At .Iolo, i'm 1876, ono OF these fanatics.
armed with a creese and "a javelin, attack
ed II company of soldiers as they marched
from the beach To the garrison, killing
two, fatally wOundinG three and seriously
wounding four Of the force. At the same
place a few weeks afterward similar
sudden attack was made by three jura-
mentados, VINO Killed five and wounded IS
before they could he bayon5ted by the
troops"
The islanders have always chafed under
an alien yoke, which has interfcred with
their favorite pursuit Of piracy. Their
discomfort il continually fomerted by the
panditas. or slohammedan priests, who
feel Eum!liatCd Ey the presence of Catholic
monks and missionaries. The datos have
therefore never lost an opportunity to re-
si-t. as far us possible, the encroachments
of Spain The domestic laws of Sulu
r.. l.
who are bound to them body and soul
An insulvent debtor and his whole fam
lily, according to these laws, become the
OF his creditor. The shiftlessness
II the Mnlnys is 81 great that their masters
find no difficulty in making them contract
debts out of ali proportion TO their re-
sources. The unhappy debtor no longer
belongs 20 himself. His family can be
all over the archipelago But
frequon nifty he is asked TO purchase his
family at TIE price of vOwing his own life |
TO the destruction OF the Christians He |
accepts these terms. he seals them with |
VOW and straichtway he becomes what is |
known in Malay as a sabil, in Spanish as
4 juramen;aGo "one who Is sworn"
Through these IUTamentUdCs sort of /
sporadic warfare has been kept up against 1
he SpaniarCis. and not until recent times
has even the capital city of Sulu been safe
rom irrUTtiOns and riots.
Spain has tried 10 keep firearms and |
ammunition oft of their hands. but this.
Ike many other things the dons have I'M
lcrtakeu. has proved unsuccessful Most
4 the tribes arswcll organized and equip
ed with modern weapons They Dc not,
However, handle them well and depend
more upon their native arms in battle.
hey are provided with fine implements
4 destruction OF their own make. The
rinciral of these is the barong. Ii Is sim
lar to butchers cleaver. with heavy
ilade- II is said that an expert tribesman
an cut n man n half with one blow from
his instruments. Besides this. they use
he creeser which is double edged sword.
I wRswith tbs class OF weapons that they .
ouid svoop down from the hills on the |
paniards and massacre them. All males :
YER 10 are armed and instructed in the {
sc of the berOug and creese. The natives ]
orge their own spear and arrow heads
nd do exceptionally fine work. The way
hey temper the spearhcads and swords is
eaiiy wonderful They are very artistic !