Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-01-08
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serving hetelnut.
SULTANAS NOT ERY PRETTY.
"One Snltana was fairly pretty, or
had been so. but the remainder were
heavy, languid and lay in their move
ments; and their teeth, dyed black, did
not embellish their personal appear
ance They all wore light colored gar
ments of great width, and light bodices.
Their couture was carefully finished,
but unfortunately part of the fore
head was hidden by an ugly fringe of
hair"
The Sultanate is an 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 Mussulmans of having to make
pilgrimage to Mecca. In order that he
may do SO one of his ministers, OF
whom there are three, is named as re-
| gent to act as ruler in the event of his
absence. The other members of the
| Sultan's cabinet are the minister of
war and the minister of justice and
master of the ceremonies. The Sultan
| is supreme in his authority over the
| lives and property of his subjects, but
| is advised in matters of state by a
| council of elders. Under him, but not
| fully acknowledging his authority, are
a number of petty chiefs, called Dattos,
who collect, tribute in his name. and
pay over to the royal treasury, not that
of Spain, but that of the Sultan, such
portion of their revenues as remains
after satisfying their own wants.
Slavery is one of the fixed institu-
| ed, be the first Mussulmans ever under
| tions of the archipelago. 1t exists by
!, birth and by conquest, prisoners of
| war, insolvent debtors, and unfortun-
| ates seized by piratical expeditions be-
ing held in bondage
I RELIGION OF THE ISLANDERS.
The Sulu islanders and the inhab-
itants of Mindanao will. as before stat
ed be the first Mussulmans ever under
the jurisdiction of the Stars and
Stripes. In the last treaty between
Spain and the Sultan of Sulu it was
especially agreed that the Mussulmans
should not be prosecuted for their re-
ligion. Efforts by Jesuits to Christian
lze the Mussulman population of Sulu
and Mindanao have steadily resulted
in failure, the missionaries as a rule
having been put to death. Mussulman
| fanaticism is well exemplified in the
devotees known as juramentados, or
| sworn MuSSulmanS, whose belief is
| that VOW taken to die taking the
| blood of Christian, if consummated,
will bring them eternal bliss in the
presence of the Great Prophet. These
fanatics are most dangerous class, as
/ unruly as a Malay who runs amuck or
| the bowling Dervishes of the Soudn.
| The highest religious Office is that of
| Cherif, which is an hereditary post, car
! rylng with it temporal power His
/ subordinates in the hierarchy are
known as pandita, title having the
| significance of priests. The pandita
/ Yields large influence alike in worldly
| and spiritual affairs, performing the of
flee of physician and officiating at the
various religious exercises of his faith
Public worship is held on Friday,
| when worshipperS are called to the
mosque by beating upon a box or hol-
low piece of wood. Solemn ceremonials
mark births and deaths. At the funeral
of Plato or chief the panditas intone
| Wlerd chant, accompanied with Gym
balls and gongs, and the loud lamenta-
| lions of the mourners. This ceremony
| is followed by feast, after which the
body, attired in white, is sprinkled with
salt and camphor, and laid away in a
| wooden coffin, the place of burial being
| marked by a wooden or stone slab in
| scribed in Arabic. A cocoa-nut shell
full of water is placed on the grave.
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND
DRESS.
| The Sulu Islanders follow the habits
| of MusSulmans in the matter of dress
! Favorite colors among the women are
scarlet and green. They wear a baggy
dual neither garment and a tight-fitting
bodice and sleeves, showing the con-
tour of the figure. On the head they
| place a narrow cloth sack open at the
sides and reaching nearly to the feet
| the lower portion of which is caught
up and held upder the arm. Like ORR
| entails generally they are fond of jew
| elry and wear many many finger-rings
| of seashell and metal, as well as large
and fiashy earrings. Their hair is
! arranged in a coil on the top of the
| head.
| Male dress is equally bright in color,
| consisting of close-fitting breeches and
waistcoat, both profusely decorated with
buttons, and a jacket reaching to the
hips. A turban serves for head dress.
Chiefs add many additional adornments
| to their costumes.
| OF the Sulus it has been said that
they are of quick perception, audacious,
extremely sober ready to promise every
| thing and do nothing, vindictive, and
| highly suspicious of a strangers nten-
tons. They are very long-suffering in
| adversely, hesitating in attack, and the
| bravest of the brave in defense" Hardy
| in constitution their bodies are agile
and active. and they have cultivated to
| a high degree the art of diving and re-
| naming under water, accomplishment
| which serves them in pearl fishing, one
of their chief industries. Their complex
| ion is dark bronze, their eyes piercing.
foreheads low, hair lank and worn hang
| ing down the neck Agriculture and