Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-07-14
lconyI-ghLoI. III BY Flank Q. Carpen.

have sailed westward from Mindanaoi
and for the past week have been travel
ing among the Islands OF the sulu archi-
peago which dot the sea IN a great cres-
cent from Mudanao TO Boneo. There
are two hundred OF these Islands, some
mere dots upon the face Of the sea;
others composed OF mountains and
plains, covering an area equal to that
Of several hundred good-slzed farms.
Some. such as Basllan Sulu and Tawi
Tawl even approach the dignity OF
countries, running from ninety-dye
square miles IN Tawi Tawi 20 three hum
dred and thirty square miles IN Sulu,
with Basilan coming between az an
area Of two hundred and sixty-three
square miles.
The Sulu Islands are among the most
curious, wild and romantic Of our Phil
ippine possessions. They are inhabited
chiefly by Moros OF the most savage ore
der, governed by dattOs, and an subject
20 the sultan OF Sulu with whom the
government has made a special treaty.
giving him. monthly salary from the
United States treasury His rule Is
such, however that we have had 20
place troops az a number Of stations
throughout the archipelago. The chief
garrison Is here at J0l0. but there are
soldiers also at SLASH, Bongao and
Basilan
BAs1LAN, sIAssI AND BoNGAo.
Basilan Is only a few hours ride by
boat from Zamb0anga, IL has popula-
tlon Of something Ike a thousand or 30,
and its capital, Isabella, contains about
eight hundred inhabitants IL IN beau
tlful Island, with good soil and having
mountains covered with timber The
Spaniarde used II az a naval station.
and built there dockyards, barracks and
hospital
The Island Of SLASH Is the most Inn
portant OF the Tapul group embracing
about a score Of Islands and sets. 10 ls
situated about forty miles from Sulu.
and It's capital. SLASH, vles with Jolo as
one Of the commercial centers Of the
archipelago.
The town OF SLASH Is the only port in
the Suu sea az which steamers can
come directly Up 20 the docks The
main street " the town. IN fact. IL built
out over the sea. Its houses are up ON
posts standing out above the water. aud f.
some OF the people go from house 90 |
houes.on stllts stepping from their |
etllts 10 the first floor Of the houses and |
leaving them outside until they are /
ready 20 depart The town Is very /.
pretty being well shaded with cocoanut /
trees and doing considerable business /
IN copra, sharks fms and shells We 4
have a company stationed az this point /
Another company Is Quartered al Bon
gao TO keep watch over the two dattos |
who I've there and the people Of She
Tawi Tawl group. This group has
about forty Islands. the most important
being Tawi Tawi a long oval island
ninety-fVe miles IN circumference and |
about three hundred and elghty-dve
square miles In area. II Is very noun
famous. lacks water and has almost no
cultivated lands.
The Island OF Bongao Is huge rocky
mass rising about one thousand feet al
most straight up out Of the sea- At one
end Of Il there "a some low land. This
IL about Bongao bay and upon Il are
the barracks Of our soldiers There Is
fort, and some other buildings
Il IA said that the pirates used Bongao
as resort In the past Il being especial
~ well fitted for defense. and the Jungle
on the mountain forming a good place
Tor retreat when attacked. Bongao ls
only few hours ride from Borneo
OUR PEARL ISLANDS.
These islands are all more or less sur
rounded by pearl fisheries. The chief
business is IN the shells az the pearl |
oystere, which are gathered from the
bed OF the ocean near the Islands. There
Is an English company at Jolo which Is
shipping quantities Of these shells 90
Europe. They receive from the poorest
variety about 500 ton. with the addl-
tional profit which now and then comes
from the pearls IN the oysters. some OF
which sell for hundreds Of dollars
apiece General Bates told me that
when he called on the sultan his mates.
~ offered him a pearl as big az the end
OF your little finger as a present. He
says II was worth about S. 0O0 but that
as ne was a government official ne ala
not feel That he had a right 90 accept Il.
ana hence, TO the surprise OF the sultan.
refused
THE SULTAN AND HIS PEARLS.
The sultan and the dsttos have ;be
right 10 the largest Of the pearls which
are gathered by the Mor0s. and h ls
said that the sultatn has "a great fore d
tune In pearls stored away in his palace.
A German JeWeler called up0n him the D
other day and tried 20 buy some. but he y
round his majesty as Well posted on
values as himself and went away s0r- q
io"Iul The company which Is now doc /
ing most on The business is composed uf | ,
Engllshmen. They paid / am t0ld 4
something Ike $4,000 Tor their fishing !
QUILT and they have a special arrange. ,
ment win the sultan Tho own about Z
ihhly schooners and make regular eX- =
sulsions 20 me pearl fishing grounds. d
They use divers who wear diving SUITS ,
ana carry ON the business after modern
methods. The shells are used On manu-. ,
featuring knife handles buttons. paper
cutters and other such things. A.,
] am told that not oue-teuth OF the /,
money made from the fishing comes b
IRON the pearls themselves The shells y
are ihe most valuable the pearls beug .
merely Oy-Hroluct This Is go. J be- .
lieFe To- OH the pearl fishing centers u ,
the western Australian fisheries for m. .
stance the returns for the shells IN one
year were $500 900. while the pearls rut- Z
ten during the same time cold for $780,
The fishing goes on about the island D
OF liasilan and in other grounds in the 7.
western part w the archipelago. such as %
Of bongao and TBWi TavI as wen as Ina
lhe seas NOT Gar from sUu. The seas z
have not yet been carefully prospected, ~
however. e
AMONG THE DIVERS.
The method ot diving Dor pearls as fol. .
lowed by the natives s exceedingly 81
simple They use uo diving suits. bui Do
B. naked Into ODE water wing heavy 81
stones ~ the.r feet 90 h.'p .ham sink 81
.o the bottom. They usually chDlsp
grounds where The par oysters are not
more th1n forty fCst below f1r SUR
.ace The oysters Ir. a.uDhad ts the D.
rocks ana the diver wH ttem lolGe N
'ith his knife and puts Them I'm "a NED ~
'ag He then gives ,he signal hy ID
erNng the rope about his waist. and is 4.
ragged to the surface III
The Moros are expert divers and III
WINNERS. They have trained them N
elves 20 holding their breath under wa. nj
er and some can remain below the SUR. In
ace for about two minutes M "a time. u
me business II exceedingly dangerous. N
or there ore numerous sharks. and a Ia