Washington sentinel., 1899-10-28
A VrsIr TO THE SULTAN OF SULU.

General Bates, accompanied by Capt.
Smiley and Lieut.. Reeve, of his staff,
returned to Manila after concluding a
treaty with the Sultan of SuIu.
In the southern part of the Philippine
Islands there is a chain of small islands
extending from Mndanoa to the coast
OF Borneo. They are inhabited by an
odd lot OF people, in whose veins flow
mixture OF Malay and Arabian blood
These people also lnhabit good portion
of the mysterious island of Mindanoa
They are Mohammedans in religion and
were called Moros by the Spaniards.
Their soil is the most generous OF all the
Philippines and their climate is the
best. The Moros are warlike, and spend
much Of their lives at sea; and until very
recently were as grsceless a lot Of pirates
as could be imagined, when. kris in
hand, they not only boarded every
merchantman that ventured into their
waters, but raided the coasts OF every
island IN the Philippines. The Arabs
introduced Mohame edanism about 800
years ago, and there is today in the local
aristocraCy a strong Arabian strain and
nearly all have Arabian names. The
highest political and religious Office IS
that occupied by the Sultan. Next In
rank come the dato, of whom there are
many; some are quite powerful and
independent OF the Sultan These
people have practically never acknOwI
edged the sovereignty OF Spain and have
frequently matched the kris against the
rifles OF the Spaniards.
The most precious thing in the world
to a Moro is a irearm; but fortunately
they possess few. The word slave as
used IN these islands is a misnomer
The so called slaves usually perform but
little work and seem to be on the most
intimate terms with their owners, When
they wish to do so they can enter the
houses Of their masters, Of the datos, and
even the imperial palace. Many of them
we're interested listeners each time that
General Bates held a conference with
the chieitaius. It is really system of
peonage mixed with feudal sertdom,
without the labor suggested by either
term The price oi a slave varies from
$40 upward; and If a slave procures his
freedom under a new order of things be
will probably have to labor on a coffee
or cocOanut plan tatIon for 10 hours
day. General Bates inserted a provision
IN the agreement by which slaves could
be freed upon the payment OF the usual
market value average Szo).
In former days Moro when tired OF
life would present himself to a Moham.
medan priest, and after some religious
rites would take an oath to die killing
Christian dogs. He would then start for
the nearest Spanish garrison and run
amuck until shot like a wild beast. Such
a man was termed a Iuramentado.
Apropos of this class, General Bates told
the Sultan that practices of this nature
must cease, and in case a Moro became
Iuramentado we should not only hang
or otherwise kill him, but we should
hang the priest that administered the
oath. The Sultan said that such practices
formed no part OF the true MOhammedan
religion, and that he had already issued
an edct forbidding them.
Curious odds and ends of humanity
drift into the JOlo Sea, At one interview
General Bates found himself faced by an
Arab, Moro, a Nubian, a Chinaman
and German.
General Bates and his staff in order to
show friendly confidence surprised the
Moros by gong among them unarmed,
which seemed to the natives unheard Of
rashness. 7 wO OF the islands visited by
the Generals aide de camp had probably
never known the heel OF a white man,
or at most, very rarely In fact. it would
not have been wise to go otherwise than
unarmed. An armed party would sug.
gest hostility and not confidence. An
armed officer could offer little resistance
in a Jungle; besides, firearms are so
valuable to the Moros that to show a
T weapon OF modern make to a Moro is
| like carelesslY dangling diamond watch
4 before a Broadway pickpocket.
r The American people in the near
E future will hear much relating to our
o new fellow countrymen--the Moros II
{ is unfortunate that the camera can give
4 no idea OF the local color OF this gayly
o attired people under their ever summer
sun.