The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-10-12
THE SULTAN OF sULu.


 dig, who. early in the sixteenth cen tury, conquered the sulu Archipelago, founded the sultanate. and opened the way for the introduction therein of the religion of the great Prophet.
 This suitanate, politically regarded as and integral part of the Philippines. came into the possession, or control, of America as a result Of the Spanish American war of 1898. Under the old regime this group of about one hun dred and forty islands and islets con- stituted a vassal domain in the suze- fainty of the King of Spain.
 But kingship and royalty are in- compatible with American institutions, and the American policy is to shear these petty rulers of their power and gradually bring their territories into political and social uniformity with the rest of the Philippines Archipel- ago.
 From the end of the sixteenth cen tury up to the present day Sulu, or Jolo, as the Spaniards termed it, and the adjacent large Mahommedan is land of Mindanao, have been the thea ire of intermittent strife and bloody warfare. Although personally convinc- ed of the superiority of American strength, the Sultan has no pawer, and perhaps little inclination, to coerce his nominally subordinate chiefs into sub mission to the Great Republic.
 When I was staying at the royal residence of Maybun (Sulu Island), as the Sultan's guest, in 1881, young Ma hammad Jamalul Kiram was youth of about fifteen summers. On his fathers death the Spaniards cited him to Manila, to receive investiture from the governor in the name of the King of Spain.
 But he refused to go there, for tradition had taught him how, in 1750, his illustrious predescessor, Sultan Ma Hammad Alimudin, had been inveigl- ed to the Spaniards capital, where he was kept prisoner until the British released him in 1763.
 The Spaniards thereupon ignored his right of succession, and appointed, in his stead, his uncle, Harun Narrasid. But the Christian-h hating Mosiems point-blank refused to accept the in- fldels nominee, and Nationalist party waged war so consistently against him that he was obliged to make peace with his nephew, who complacently appointed Uncle Harun'' to his vas sal Sultanate of Palauan Island.
 In the meantime, Mahammad Jamal- Ill Kiram made his pilgrimage to Mec- ca, and thus secured the title of Hadji, a3rrI1 4o ;oI, that Holy Shrine is entitled.
 When I called upon his Highness last year he was residing in Tulay, an ex-niura1 suburb of Jolo town, in a roughly built wooden house, which had the appearance of an immense packing case, with so many openings in it for doorways andwin dows.
 I was met at the entrance by several of his armed liegemen, who escorted me through the vestibule, practically a rubbish store, to the staircase. I wondered, for the moment where the stairs led me to, but suddenly the lid at the top was raised, and in a min ute, found myself in the royal pres ence. His Highness was seated on sofa near the window opening, and af- ted had made a low bow, a smile and a movement of his hands signif1ed as intination to approach.
 Without rising he graciously shook hands with me, and pointed to a chair opposite. So seated myself and tsart- ed the conversation by telling him how, years ago, when he was a little boy, I had been the guests of his father at Maybun.
 This reniniscence evidently delight ed him; if the ice were not broken be- fore, it was now. A smile of delight beaned on the Sultan's face; a word from his lips brought his retainers, attiered in picturesque bright-colored costumes, and armed win "barong," shor sWards, and daggers, inc a semi circle around he back of my chair.
 His Highness offered me cigar with his own hand, and then opened his heart to me anent the new condi- tions in his realm. Of course, the American advent was distasteful to him. felt that his dignity was sighted by the newcomers, who, little, little by little, were encroaching upon his rights by appropriating his valuable pearl fisheries, and seizing the revenu- es which belonged to him.
 The Sultan is short, thick-set man, with small eyes, a slight, black mous- tache, sal1ow complexion, and his hair cropped as close as scissors would clip. Clothed in sarong of brilliant hue from his loins downward, around his shoulders was thrown a jabul, or strip of cotton stuff, sewn together at the ends. And as he waxed warm on the subject of his grievances, at every gesture the jabul would slide down to his waist, exposing his dusky skin, so that perhaps I really saw more of his his Highness that is the privilege of most Europeans.
 On taking leave of my royal host he presented me with his handsome dress sword and betelnut cutter as souvenirs to the "Friend of his honered father"
 The Tulay audience chamber occu- pies half the upper floor, and it's de- scription my be briefly summed up in bare boards, nondescript boundles, four or five pieces of dilapidated funi- ture, dirt,and lumber.
 But the Maybun palace, on the op- posite coast of the island, is quite a different place. Built bungalow fashion and covered with an iron roof, it has several spacious apartments, which