The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-07-07

sun preserved
That shows at once the
I FiIipinos are not civilized said the
Newspaper Man. "A civilized man new
er has 10 capture a wife. His only trou-
! bic is 10 keep the women from captur-
ing him"
The Lady scowIed at the Newspaper
/ Man. and the Returned Traveller con-
tinued:
The natives of the Sulu archipelago
are as different from the Tagalos and
| Ilocaners of the north Philippines as
/ hyena from a monkey. The Sulus are
black as velvet and have pronounced
negro features. but their hair is straight
as poker. They claim TO be NOLAN
medans. but the only sign of it I ever
saw is the way they Cypress their wo-
men ana keep them in seclusion. Those
Sulu women are as afraid of white
man as if he were a roaring lion and a
| boa constructor rolled into one"
quite right they are" remarked the
Lady. white men are dangerous"
Not to those women" replied the
Traveller. Fore heaven, they are the
most monstrously ugly creatures in the
shape of the human female on this
planet today I know that because a
woman could not be homelier than they
are"
I should not think their men would
want to capture them then" observed
the Newspaper Man.
ooh, but they do. That's the fashion
in those parts. When Sulu takes a
fancy TO girl, he breaks into her IA
Tiers house at night like a burglar,
seizes the girl by the hand and drags
her off. If her father does not want the
lover to have the girl, ne tries TO kill
him, and they mutually kill each other
if they can. II. on the other hand. the
father is willing, he bargains for the
sale of the girl. disposes OF her at a sat
tsfactory price and sends her of with
the lover
But suppose she does not want to
go?'' said the Lady.
In that case she tries to kill the !
wooer on her own hook. If she can. she |
gets rid of him. If she can't, she has to |
90 with him and be his wife. no matter |
how much she hates him. 1t does not
make any difference. either. whether I
the woman is married or not. II Sulu |
brave loves another mans wife, which /
happens often-for we always like what /
we have not got-he goes to the hUs- /
bands house. takes the wife by the |
hand and endeavors to lead her off with |
him. If the husband in possession is 4
tired of her, he lets her go for a sufii-
Gent consideration, paid by the hus-
band who would be. If, however, her /
owner desires to keep her. he kills or
tries TO kill the lover. and the lover
tries TO kill the husband. If the lover is
the victor, he carries of the woman.
leaving a number of widows more OF
less, behind him"
What, Is polysamy practiced in the
Philippines" asked the Lady.
Yes. in the Sulu islands. a man
may have all the wives ne wants If he
can capture them. I visited in com
pany with a white man who had been
in the islands a long time, a Sulu chief.
a Dato. living a short distance out of Jolo. !
This Dato had seven wives. every one
little worse looking than the others.
Ny friend said to me: Now. if you fancy
one of the Dato's wives, just go to her
ana put your hand upon her When a !
man puts his hand upon a Suiu woman.
she belongs to him. If the Dato is willing /
to let her so, he viii sell her TO you at /
the highest market price. If not, ne /
win whip out his bolO and Kill you. or /
try to. You may buy the woman or 1
fight for her, according 10 the Dato's !
pleasure and mood.
How 90 the Sulu women dress - |
asked the Lady.
Mostly ike Mohammedan women.
They wear baggy trousers gathered IN I
a the ankle. over this is a sort OF
loose. flowing gown. coming down
about half way between the knee and
ankle They travel in their bare feet.
which are very broad. with the toes
spread wide apart.
some OF them wear on their heads
the same style Of queer hat the men do.
II is braided from palm fiber and stitch
ed together in the shape OF a cone. 4
stick stands out al the top like the
knob Of a sugar bowl I'D Bright color
ed threads are wound around the knob
Tor ornament. There are hanging loops
at the ears through which a handker-