The times., 1899-08-24

Helena, Mon, Aug pa letter has
been received here from Capt L. p San
ders, on the staff of General Otis, at Ma
Mia, containing a description Of his trip
to the Sulu Islands. Captain Sanders and
Colonel Potter were sent On the steamer
Butuan by General Otis TO ascertain the
situation there and the attitude of the
natives toward the Americans. Captain
Sanders anticipates no trouble whatever.
He arrived at Jolo, the principle island, on
May 20. Two battalions OF the Twenty
third Infantry are in charge there. Cap
tain Sanders says:
We were presented to the local chief
and 10 several others of the party and in
vited them to witness the battalion parade.
The band of the Twenty third Infantry
soon struck up and the companies formed
in line, greatly / imagine. impressing our
visitors. After dinner they all came to
Captain Pratt's headquarters 1t was dark,
and lamp cast a. dim light about the room.
We were seated at the table, the chief and
secretary ON the right and left of Captain
Pratt, and their retinue standing up in
the dim shodows behind. 1t was a picture
/ shall never forget. The secretary was
a fez and white skirt. The chief was
dressed in a skin-tght costume of black
silk, thickly covered With gold eInbroid-
cry work, with a snowy sash and beauti-
fully made turbsn. Through his sash
stuck his barcng the envy of us all. 1t
had an elaborately carved onyx handle
The grip was of pure gold, and richly
carved, and the blade of finely etched steel.
The retinue behind, some in the costumes
the plains OF Arabia presented a most
picturesque sight. Some of them were, In
fact, recently from the Red Sea, traders
wandering of TO these tropical islands.
With Mr.. Schuck as interpreter, the in
terview began. The secretary first in
formed US that the Sultan was sick al
Siasi. otherwise he would have come to
pay his respects. The Sultan hoped the
Americans would be friendly to his people
and he expressed his gratitude to them fol
having driven out the Spaniards He as
sured US that had the Americans not come
IL was his intention 10 hunt them up ever
if he had TO go SO far away as Singapore
to find us. This remark as did many
others, impressed me with the fact ol
their utter ignorance of us as a nation.
Finally, he said that the Suiu Island:
were but small and his people very poor
and he hoped the United States would not
Claim sovereignty over them. In reply
Captain Pratt, avoiding political questions
expressed his regret at the Illness Of the
Sultan and said the United States would
certainly befriend them, but that he could
not say what the intentions OF the Gov
ernment were as to taking the islands
Colonel Potter thought it safe TO add {
little more, and the captain said that il
We did maintain sovereignty they would
enjoy such liberty as their conduct war.
ranted. all of which evidently pleased the
secretary and chief
Moros are altogether unlike the Fill
pinos. There is no striking feature about
the Fifipinos that rivets ones attentic n
but the Moro fascinates and interests you
from the start. He is OF rather diminu-
tive size. a sinegy, 1.-THE fellow, broad
shouldered and thin legged. with boldness
defiance, and haughtiness in every move
ment of his eat-iike, tread. His dress iE
unique, and has just enough of the Arab:
costume about it TO bring one vision o.
sandy deserts over amid these tropical
lands. He detests Work and subsists or
fruit, fish, and cattle. fights and hunts
constantly, compelling captives OF otheI
tribes TO do all the menial labor. SLAYER,
exists among them, each tribe waging wal
with its neighbcr and the stronger holding
in abject slavery the vanquished. His re-
ligion permits him four wives. who never
live with him, but in neighboring huts."