The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-20
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Copyrighted. 1900. by Frank g. Carpenter.
Zamboanga, April 2 1900.
- HAVE just had an interview with
Datto Mandi. He Is one of the most
powerful OF the Moro chiefs. and
has more strength of character than
the sultan of Jolo. He controls the
Noros of the western part of Mndanao
and mas hundreds of fighting men who
viii wage war for him at nod of the
head. He u. moreover a friend of the
Americans, and was the first of the Mo-
hammedans to- espouse our cause I'm this
mart Of the world. He fought for us
AGAINST the insurrectos; and as soon as our
rnboat. the Castine, arrived he got an
American flag and raised 1t over mis- town.
He new II at the mastheads Of his beats
sni offered his services to- us. He sold
supplies 10 our gunboats. and when Gen.
Bates came to Jolo In August he sent word
10 htn, that n so desired he would take mis-
warriors and wipe the insurrectos from the
face Of the island. Gen Bates did no. like
10 authorize Mohammedans to kill Chris
iiAns, and for this reason refused his per-
mission.
Before describe my audience with Dat
10 Mandi and my visit to his people must
tell you something of our Mohanmcdan
empire. II includes this great island 81
Nindanao, which, as | have said, Is as
hg as Ohio, and also the numerous islands
which spot this southern sea. Mandanao is
Md to be about two-fifths Christian, two
9Th Mohammedan and one-iifth savage.
In the other islands the people are nearly
oil Moros. but there are probably as many
1oros on Mindanao as on all the est. No
accurate census has ever been taken. ana
estimates OF the number of Mohnmmedans
vary all the way from two hundred thous-
end to half a million.
The Mohammedans, or Moros, as the
spaniards called them. are made up Of df-
ferent tribes. Each tribe Is under its indie
pendent chief or datto, but they all owe
certain allegiance to the sultaa of .Ioio,
and on the island OF Mindanao - another
tultan. who lives near Cottabato. and whom
expect to visit after leave Zampoanga,
II n not entirely clear as to just what the
relation between the sultans and the dat
nos L. II Is semi-reigious and semi few
dsl, with the dates often so stro1g that
they apparently pay no attention TO the
sultan
doubt whether Datto Mandi recognizes
any one as his superior He Ia far different
nom the other Mohammedan chiefs and far
more civilized. The other dattos give conf
mands &c Kill and spare not. In their wars
usv Kill as many OF the men as they can
end capture the women and girls for wives.
while they use the boys as slaves Last
september Mandi had fight with the IN
surrectos near here. during which he cap
nrd one OF their towns He killed the
most or the men. but held the women and
children, to the number OF 100 and sent
hsm back TO Their relatives
Has Pozue, of Life and Death.
The dattos have absolute power OF life
and death over their subjects. Whether
.hey have this legally or not under the
spanish laws is question. but at any
rate they exercise It. No one would
question Mandfs right to chop off tho
esad OF any one of his subjects. A datto
81 the Island of Sulu is said TO have
ALLEN out with blacksmith the other
gay think the blacksmith had been
smiling at one OF the ladies OF the dat
VS. harem. At any rate the datto-his
nAme Is Jokanime. and n very distin-
sashed datto he is-came 10 the black