Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-05-24
MINDANAO AND THE MOROS.

MAJOR, First Artillery.
MINDANAO AND THE MOROs.
characteristics of the Island and
It's Inhabitnnts.
The trouble that the authorities OF
the United States are having with the
savage tribes in the Philippines calls
especial attention to the island of Min
danao and its inhabitants.
The island Of Mindanao is the Sec
ond in size Of the archipelago, Luzor
being the largest. According to the
census Of 1887 its population was 209,-
OS7. although this figure did not include
the natives Of the interior, whose num-
ber can only be estimated.
The mineral products of the island
are not we'll known. For many years
the natives have gathered some gold
which they present for exchange in the
provinces of the north, where some ex-
periments have been carried on. The
auriferous deposits Of Misamis have
great renown. Coal deposits exist In
the vicinity Of Sibugney, Surigao and
Matt. Sulphur is also plentiful. The
woods found in the forests, which al
most cover the island are Of great
variety, those for shipbuilding and
other building purposes being especial
ly abundant The bamboo known as
bajo, rattan and other trailers, form
impenetrable jungles. The cocoanut
and bananas grow abundantly. Hemp
is also grown and the chocolate and
coffee bushes grow very luxuriantly
and rapidly. Other products are indi-
60, pineapple. sugar cane, rice and to-
bacco. Cloves and nutmegs are found
in the Bay Of Sibugney, where the Gin
nomon tree grows spontaneously
Corn, sweet potatoes and similar pro-
ducts grow abundantly in all districts
as we'll as all kinds Of fruit. In short
the vegetable wealth Of Mindanao not
only equals but surpasses that Of LII
zon and the Visayas, although in truth
not 80 extensively exploited. ..
Nor is Mindanao behind the other IS
lands in the animal kingdom.
All kinds of monkeys are found in
every part. There are large numbers
of cattles, horses and buffaloes, the
most Of these being domesticated or
owned by some known individual
Domestic hogs are found and wild hogs
are more abundant, because the Mo-
hammedan inhabitants do not use
them. On the other hand, deer, which
are found in all the forests, abound and
are much sought after. Many reptiles
and insects, some Of them poisonous
are found, such as snakes, scorpions,
lizards and large numbers Of leeches
are found in the rivers and on the
trees. The iguana, large species Of
lizard, sometimes attains length OF
six feet. Snakes Of the boa family at
tain extraordinary size. Crocodiles
of large size are found in the rivers. a
large variety of birds Is found, the
calao, or horn bill, being abundant In
the forests.
The Moros form the larger portions
Of the inhabitants Of the island OF
Mindanao. The Moro tribe can be
cited as among the peoples which have
most deeply impressed their charac-
teristics in the Philippine islands. In
an evil hour a death-bearing plague OF
them invaded many regions Of India
and the archipelagoes of Oceania. The
Moros now extend over the whole OF
Mindanao and the Sultanate of SuH,
which comprises the Sulu island and
14O others. The domains Of the Sultan
reach westward as far as Borneo. He
is also fued lord Of two vassal sultan
ates in Mindanao island. Only small
coast district of this island was really
under Spanish empire, although Spain
claimed sovereignty over all the terri
tory, subject to the Sultan of Sulu'
which never was entirely carried out.
The Moros were for centuries among
the sea pirates Of history, the most
uncomfortable. They defied the Span
ish sailing men-of-war with their light
"prahus" and "vintas," by keeping In
the shallow water, where they could
not be approached and awaiting op-
portunity to cluster around a solitary
man-of- war and take her by boarding.
1t was the introduction of steam gun
boats in 1860 that broke the power OF
the Moro pirate fleets. Their towns.
like the city of Brunei, are mostly
built in the water, and have bamboo
bridges to connect them with the shore,
which can be removed. Their cot
tas," or forts, are built on rising
ground nearby and protected by reefs
that made the approach by water
difficult. The stockade Is made of
trunks of trees Some Of their walls
are as much as "a feet thick and 30 feet
high. defended py brass and iron guns.
An attempt to storm these cottas is
met by the Moros. who mount the
ramparts and make brave defence,
firing grape from their cannon till the
enemy comes near enough, when they
hurl their pears upon them at a sur
prising distance and with accurate