Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-09-29
PHILIPPINE PIRATES.
FIERCE MoRos OvERRAN THE
ISLANDS.
they Were Cruel and Bloodthirsty eno
the spaniards Could Not Keep Tnsm
In Check Until the Days OF kapid-
Fire Guns.

4. Check Until the Days OF Rapid
Prof. Dean c. Worcester OF the Uni
yersity OF Michigan contributes an ar
ticle on ''The Malay Pirates OF the
Philippines" to the Century. Proi.
Worcester says Of the dreaded Moros
of the southern Philippines: The Mo-
ros entered the Philippines from Bor-
neo at about the time Of the Spanish
discovery. They first settled In Sulu
and Basilan, but rapidly spread over
he numerous small islands Of the Sulu
and Tawi Tawi a~rchipelagoes and
eventually occupied the whole of the
great island of Mindanao to the east.
and Balabac and the southern third OF
Palawan to the west. Before their
conquest OF Palawan was completed
they had their first serious collision
with Spanish troops, and have no
since been able to extend their terri
tory; but what they had taken they
have continued to hold. Hostilitiss be-
tween Moros and S~paniards were pre-
cipitated by an unprovoked attack by
the latter upon one of the Moro chiefs
Of north Mindanao. The attacking
force was almost annihilated, and the
fanatical passions of the Moros were
aroused. They forthwith began to or
ganize forays against the Spanish and
native towns of the central and north
nm iclan1S md fenrn tho DxfCat mot
with great success. Their principal
expeditions soon became annual
events With each recurring southeast
monsoon hordes of them ranned their
war praus and sailed north, where
they barried the coasts until the
cnange of monsoons warned them to
return home. Thousands of captives
were taken. Men were compelled to
harvest their w crops for the benefit
of their captors, and were then butch
cred in cold blood, while women and
children were carried away, the for
mer to enrich the seraglios of Moro
chiefs, the latter 10 be brought up as
slaves. For two and q half centuries
this state Of affairs continued. EN-
boldened by continued success, the
ton to the defenseless natives. Span
ish planters and government officials
were killed or held for ransom. But
the delight of the grim Moslem war
riors was to make prisoners OF the
Spanish priests and friars, toward
whom they displayed the bitterest ha-
tired. Islands which had once been
prosperous were almost depopulated.
Even foreign sailing vessels were at
tackled and captured. The Spaniards
did not tamely submit to this state OF
affairs. Expedition after expedition
was organized. Millions of dollars and
thousands of lives were wasted. Tenn
porary successes were gained, but they
resulted in no permanent advantage.
On several occasions landings were
made On Sulu itself, forts built, and
garrisons established, only to be driv-
en- from the island or massacred to a
man. The steel weapons of the Moros
were OF the best. and for years they
were really better armed than the
Spaniards; but with the Improvement
in firearms the Spaniards gained an
advantage in which the Moros did not
share. Such cannon and rifles as they
possessed were antiquated, and they
had difficulty in getting ammunition;
but it was not until the day OF rapid
fire guns and light-draft steam gun
boats that they were finally confined
to the southern waters of the archi-
pelago. Al efficient patrol of gun
boats was established, and the Moro
praus were forbidden to put to sea
without first obtaining a written per-
NIT from the nearest Spanish govern
or. They were also ordered to fly the
Spanish flag. When a prau was en-
countered that did not show the flag,
or was not provided with a pasaporte.
1t was rammed and cut In two, or sunk
by the fire of machine-guns. No quar-
ter was given. As opportunity offered
the gunboats shelled the Moro villages.
which were, built over the sea and so
could be easily reached. Sulu, which
q always been the. seat of govern
and the residence of the reigning
sultans. was destroyed in 1876, and a
Spanish military post established
where it had been. At first the Moros
had a disagreeable habit Of dropping
in from time to time and wiping out
the garrison. 1t wa constantly REIN
forced or renewed, however, SO that
from 1876 to the present day the Span
ish occupation at this point has been