The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-08
WE ANNEX A PoTENTATE.
The sulu Island Group Is Governed by a
Sultan.

When the American peace commits
sioners, in the negotiations at Paris, in
sisted on the cession of the Sulu archi
pelago to this country. the United States
acquired a very picturesque and pos
sibly unruly vassal in the person of his
highness the sultan of Sulu, together
with his harem of sultanas and some
thing more than 100000 Mussulman sub
jects Thus for the first time is the
Mohammedan religion brought under
the protection of the stars and stripes.
The Sulu archipelago over which this
Mussulman monarch holds sway is the
southernmost part of the remarkable
Philippine group, lying east Of Borneo,
which was at one time under his high
ness jurisdiction. Parts of Minfanao
and Palaman still render allegiance to
his highness, two vassal sultans in the
former paying tribute to the sultan of
the Sulus as their feudal lord. Although
for nearly three centuries the Spaniards
waged war against the sultan of the
Sulus,, not until 1877 did this potentate
acknowledge the sovereignty of Spain
in his dominions, which was also for
mally, recognized by England and Ger
many in a protocol signed March II,
1877. No military post was established
in the archipelago until 1880, when a
convict corps took possession Two
e"
Bongao and Siassi, two small islands of
the Sulu group.
In 1887 the island of Sulu was partly
conquered by General Arolas, who vas
lately in command of the Spanish gar
rison at Havana. In this conqu est. the
sultan did not fare so badly for he Sc
cured the title of excellency and an an
nual pension of $1,000, besides a re-
newal of the decree of 1877 exempting
;,,1 Int; - 81,
from taxation for a second period of
10 years, from 1887. Spain has never
been able to levy tribute upon the sultan
of the Sulus. In fact, Spanish jurisdc
ton in Mindanao and the Sulus has al
ways been of the most limited descrip
ton. John Foreman, the English trav-
eler, who lately gave information re-
garding the Philippines to the American
peace commissioners, observes on this
point:
1T is a great sacrifice that the Span
iards can retain the little possession
which they have acquired in the South,
and frequent acts of violence are still
perpetrated on them by the turbulent
Mussulmans, who virtually refuse to
recognize other rights than those of
their -sultans, to whom they give allie
glance. Indeed. it may be unhestat-
ingly asserted that the Spaniards hold
sultanate of Sulu thar that of a days
march from their respective garrisons;
and in Mindanao, in particular. not one
hundreth part of the territory"
His highness the sultan resides in
Maybun, in the island of Sulu, the larg
est in the archipelago 1t is about "a
miles long and - broad. There are l4O
or $50 islands in the sultanate, so or 80
of which are uninhabited. Sulu. the
Spanish capital'of the group, was forti-
fled and put in good sanitary order
some years a4o by General Parade.
recently stationed at Havana, and a
member of the evacuation commission.
This officer, in the early eighties, was
governor of Sulu. He erected land de-
fenses and furnished the town with
a pure water supply. His government
was one of martial law. The sultan, at
Maybun, on the southern coast, ruled
without Spanish interference.
A visit to this potentate is DESCRIBED
by Mr. Foreman, who found the palace
a large and well constructed building of
wood and bamboo, with a spacious YES
cal plants. He was received by three
chiefs. who conducted him to the throne
room. Mr.. Foreman says:
His eXcellency was dressed in very
tight silk trousers, fastened partly up
the sides with snowy chased gold or
gilt buttonS-a short EtOn-cut olive
green jacket with an infinity of buttons,
white socks, ornamented slippers, red
sash around his waist, kind of turban
and kris at his side. One could al
most have imagined him to be a Span
ish bull fighter with an Oriental finish
off. We all bowed low, and the sultan,
surrounded by his sultanas, put his
hands to his temples, and on lowering
them he bowed at the same time. There
us to repose on cushions on the floor,
and we did so. The cushions, covered
with rich silk We're very comfortable.
Servants in fantastic costumes We're
constantly in attendance serving betel-
nut.
"One sultana was fairly pretty. or had
been so, but the remainder We're heavy,