The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1899-02-02
PIRATES OF THE PHILIPPINES.
Fierce Moros from Rorneo that Over
ran the Islands.

It tbat
ran the Islands.
Prof. Dean Worcester. of the Uniyer-
slty of Michigan. contributes an article
ON "The Malay Pirates of the Philip
pines." to the Century. Prof. Worcester
says of the dreaded Noros of the south
ern Philippines:
The Moros entered the Philippines
from BOrneo at about the time of the
Spanish discovery. They first settled
in Sulu and Basllan. but rapidly spread
over the numerous small Islands of the
Sulu and Taw Tawi archipelagoes,
and eventually occupied the whole of
The great island of Mlndanao TO the
east. and Balabac and the southern
third of Palawan 10 the west. Before
their conquest of Palawan was COM
pleted they had their first serious COLL
sion with Spanish troops, and have not
since been able to extend their terri
tory; but what they had taken they
have continued TO hold.
Hostlllties between Moros and Span
lards were precipltated by an unpro-
voked attack by the latter upon one of
the Moro chiefs of north Mindanao.
The attacking force was almost ami
hlated, and the fanatlcal passions Of
the Moros were reused. They forthwith
began to organize forays against the
Spanish and native towns of the CEN
| trail and northern Islands, and from the
outset met with great success. Their
plratical expeditions soon became an
nual events. With each recurring
southeast monsoon hordes of them
manned their war praus and sailed
north. where they harrled the coasts
until the change of monsoons warned
them TO return home.
Thousands OF captiYes were taken.
Men were compelled to harvest their
own crops for the benefit of their cap
tors, and we're then butchered in cold
blood, while women aud children were
carried away, the former to enrich the
seragliOs of Moro chiefs, the latter to
be brought up as slaves.
For two and a half centuries this
state of affairs continued. Emboldened
by continued success, the Moros no
longer confined their attention to the
defenseless natives. Spanish planters
and government officials were killed or
held for ransom But the delight of the
grim Moslem warriors was TO make
prisoners Of the Spanish priests and
frlars, toward whom they displayed
the bitterest hatred. Islands which had
once been prosperous were almost de-
populated. Even foreign sailing YES
sells were attacked and captured.
The Spaniards did not tamely submit
to this state of affairs. Expedition af-
ter expedition was organized. Millions
of dollars and thousands of lives were
wasted. Temporary successes were
gained, but they resulted In no perma-
nent advantage. On several occasions
landings were made on Sulu itself,
forts built, and garrisons established,
only to be driven 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 Spanaiards gained an advantage in
which the Moros did not share. Such
cannon and rifles as they possessed
were antlquated, and they had diff
Guilty In getting ammunition; but 1t was
not until the day otrapld-fire guns and
lght-draft steam gunboats that they
were finally confined to the southern
waters of the archipelago.
An efficient patrol of gunboats was
established, and the Moro praus were
forbidden to put to sea without first OBJ
tanning a written permit from the near
est Spanish governor. They were also
ordered to fly the Spanish flag. When a
prau was encountered that did not
show the flag, or was not provided
with pasaporte, 1t was rammed and
cut In two. or sunk by the fire of ma
chine guns. No quarter 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 had always been
the seat of government and the resi-
dence OF the reigning sultans, was de-
stroyed in 1876, and a Spanish military
post established where 1t had been. At
first the Moros had disagreeable hab-
It of dropping In from time to time and
wlplng out the garrison. 1t was con-
stantly REINFORCED or renewed, how
ever, so that from 1876 to the present
day the Spanish occupation at this
point has been almost continuous.