The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-10

conquered by General Arolas, who was
lately in command of the Spanish gar
rison Of Havana. In this conquest the
sultan did not fare so badly, for he
secured the title of eXcellenCy and an
annual pension Of S2,4o0, besides re-
newal of the decree of 1877 eNemptinS
the entire population of the archipelago
from taxation for a second period OF
ten years, from 1887. Spain has never
been able to levy tribute upon the sui
tan of the Sulus. In fact, Spanish
jurisdiction of Mindanao and the Sulus
has always been of the most limited
description. John Foreman. the Eng
lish traveller. who lately gave informa-
ton regarding the Philippines to the
American Peace commissioners, OBJ
serves on this point:
1T is at 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 alleg-
lance. Indeed. it may be unhesitatinS
ly asserted that the Spaniards hold no
more domain in Mindanao and the
Sulanate of Sulu than that of a days
march from their respective garrisOns,
and in Mindanao. in particular, not one
hundrcdth part Of the territory"
SULTAN'S RESIDENCE.
His highness the sultan resides at
Maybun, in the island of Sulu, the
largest in the archipelago. 1t is about
thrtyfour miles long and twelve
broad. There are 140 or $50 islands in
the sultanate. eighty or ninety of which
are uninha bited. Sulu, the Spanish
capital of the group, was fortified and
put in good sanitary order some years
ago by General Parade, recently sta
toned at Havana, and a member of
the evacuation commission. This off,
Ger in the early eighties was governor
of Sulu. He erected land defences 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
vestihule decorated with shrubs and
tropical plants. He was received by
three chiefs, who conducted him to the
throne room. Mr.. Foreman says:
A PEN PICTURE.
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 but
| tons, white socks, ornamented slippers,
| a red sash around his waist, a kind Of
| turban and a kris at his side. One
| could almost have imagined him to be
| a Spanish 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 low
| ering them he bowed at the same time.
| There was pause and the sultan mo-
| toned to US to repOse on cushions on
| the floor, and we did SO. The cushions.
| covered with rich silk We're very COM
| Portable. Servants in fantastic cos
| tunes were constantly in attendance
| serving betel-nut.
| "One sultana was fairly pretty, or
| had been so. but the remainder were
heavy, languid and lazy in their move
! ments; and their teeth, dyed black, dId
| not embellish their personal appear
| ance. They all wore light colored dual
| garments of great width and light bod
| ices. Their coiffure was carefully fin
ished, but unfortunately a part of their
forehead was hidden by an ugly fringe
of hair"
INHERITS THE THRONE.
The sultanate is a hereditary mon
archy under the Salic law. which ex-
cludes women from the throne. His
highness is a MusSulman by faith, ac-
knowledging the supreme religious au-
thOrity of the sultan of Turkey. and
being under the religious obligation
of all Musulmans of having to make
a pilgrimage to Mecca. In order thai
he may do so, one of his ministers
of whom there are three, is named as
| regent TO act as ruler in the event OF
his absence. The other members oil
the sultan's cabinet are the minister
of war and the minister Of justice anC
master of the ceremonies. The sultar
is supreme in his authority over the
lives and property of his subjects, bu
| Is advised In matters of state by
| council Of elders. Under him, but no
fully acknowledging his authority, arr
a number of petty chiefs, called Dat
tos, who collect tribute In his name
and pay over to the royal treasury, no
that of Spain, but that of the sultan
such portion of their revenues as re
mains after satisfying their owl
wants.
Slavery is one of the fixed institution.
OF the archipelago. 1t exists by brit
and by conquest, prisoners Of war, in
solvent debtors, and unfortunate;
seized by piratical expeditions being
held in bondage.
, MOHAMMEDANS.
= The Sulu Islanders and the inhabi
: tants of Mindanao viii be the frs
Mussulmans ever under the jurisdiction
; of the Stars and Stripes. In the las
, treaty between Spain and the sultai
, of Sulu it was especially agreed tina
the Mussulmans should not he perse
cuted for their religion. Efforts b.
Iesuts to Christianize the Mussulmal
population of Sulu and Mindanao hav
: | steadily resulted in failure, the mis-
| sionaries as a rule having been put t
: death. Mussulman fantatiCsm is wei
eXemplified in the deYotees known a
juramontados, or sworn Mussulmans
| whose belief Is that a vow taken to di
| taking the blood of Christian, II con
lsummated, will bring them eternal bills
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