Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-26
Queer American Citizens.

style. She has no end of diamonds ans
walks in golden Slippers.
Queer American Citizens.
l wish l could take you through the crowG
of American citizens whom we found await.
ing us on the wharf at Parang-Parang
They We're queer creatures to be considered
nephews of our own Uncle Sam. l can tel
you that l was glad that 1 had American
soldiers with me as 1 passed among them
There were scores of dark-faced men, each
wearing a great knife at his side. There
were half-naked boys. with serpentin6
swords called krises which are used by
these people for disemboweling their enc
mics, and there were others who carried
! the long swords known here campilans
which are especially used for cutting of
heads. Some of the men were armed with
spears of steel, with bamboo shafts, and
others had bows and arrows, the latter tip
ped with steel and dipped in poison. There
was such a variety of weapons that l can
not describe them all. Every man and every
boy had a sword stuck in, his belt or fas-
tened to his sash. Some of them scowled al
us and others pointed to their knives and
offered to sell them to us.
The picture was gay, as well as savage
The men and boys wore bright-colored tur-
bans and wastcloths. One two of the
more distinguished citizens had on skin
tight trousers Of red, yellow. blue and other
Colors. in some cases striped and in others
mixed. A few had jackets. but most Were
pare 10 tn' waist, lilttT Drown SkinS SIllllnS
like vanished mahogany under the sun.
Some Wore tall hats with tassels. and one
little fellow. the son of datto was re-
splendent in tights Of turkey red calico.
polka-dotted with white. Talk about the
wild man of Borneo! You could see him OF,
every side. and more savage and wild than
Barnums curiosity ever was.
Through this crowd We passed on our
way up to the town, seeing Moro women
and children looking out of the Spanish
buildings al every window and every door.
Some of the women had only a cotton cloth
wrapped about their breasts under the arm
pits and others We're clad in strips of bright
colored cloth. All were bareheaded and
frowsylooking. and all We're barefooted.
A Dangerous Place for Small Force.
We found the town full of Moros. They
had taken possession OF the fort and all of
the buildings formerly held by the Span
iards, with the exception of the church.
which Is occupied by our soldiers. The
soldiers are only ninety-five in number, and
in an interview which had with the datto
he told me that he controlled about ten
thousand men. If this is so, it would seem
to me to be very dangerous to have so few
troops at ParanS-Pafang. BY means of a
conspiracy they could wipe out the garrison
at any moment, and Colonel Webb Hayes
advised Captain CLEARWATER, who is in COM
mand, to put the Moros out of the fort and
to hold 1t for our soldiers. Care is especial
ly necessary among the Moros of Cottaba-
to, who, as I have already said. are noted
as being bad citizens They have no regard
for life, and they believe that killing q
Christian is su1e passport to heaven. The
fort is well formed for defense. 1t covers
about AN acre of ground and has heavy
stone walls. on the top of which is picket
fence made of palm. 1t has good water and
its arrangements for the soldiers are of the
best.
During our stay We have bought numer-
Gus weapons of the Moros They are good
two, 1nr- hrIt INV nt,S- flr~ \
beautiful krises, barongs and campilans
were offered us at from 81 to So each. Col
Hayes bought a dozen or swords and
lances. Later on the Moros brought
weapons to our steamer, and I made photo
graphs Of two of them fencing with krises
One wore a helmet and coat Of mail, which
were probably relics of their fights with the
Spaniards centuries ago. They were of
brass. beautifully made. but exceedingly
heavy and almost unbearable down here in
the tropics. The man offered the armor for
sale for SO in gold. but before he left was
glad to sell 1t for SIS.
FRANK G. CARPENTER