The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-04-10
FROM THE PHILIPPINES
Mindanao, Writes Of the Moros and
the Country.

A Rowan Man Who Il Soldering In
Mindanao. Writes of the Moros and
the Country.
r. 4. Redman. one OF the Rowan
boys who Is serving as a private in
the 18th e. s. infantry. stationed on
she island of Mindanao. P. L, has
written a very interesting letter de-
scriptive Of the islands and of the
Moros.
The island of Mindanao is second
I'm size, Luzon being the first The
Spanish. after many years. abandon
ed their efforts to conquer the Moros
1 and the dattos were left to rule their
tribes. In places they have lived SO
long under the rule of these dattos
hat they are reluctant to accept any
other form Of government, but by
! slow degrees they are becoming rec
| onciled to American ideas and meth
| DDS.
| Some of the dattos are unwilling to
surrender, writes Mr.. Redman, and
these are causing the troops station
ed there no small amount of trouble,
as they will surprise some small de-
tachmentS and massacre the entire
lot. After one of these unexpected
assaults they will fly to some place
of safety in a large, secluded swamp,
which is almost impenetrable by the
American soldiers. Here they will
stay until they think it Is safe to ven-
ture out. They are not towards by
any means, but men with evidently
no fear. as they hesitate to
fight when there is a chance Of VIC
tory, and when captured they VIII
fight to the end if not disarmed. IN
stances are numerous where one ma
-. ~
in the attempt to secure a rifle. Upon
securing a rifle he is Immediately a
great man among his tribe, as he is
allowed the privilege of marrying ana
has a voice in the government. Until
he has performed some deed of valor
but one object in life-that to serve
his datto. When a datto forms a hat
red for some officer. or wishes to Sc
cure a rifle. some one Of his tribe is
detailed to commit the deed n IN
case he fails he is considered dishOn-
cred n is killed. But cases of this
kind are becoming less FREQUENT as the
tribes are becoming more friendly TO-
ward the Americans, h are trying to
educate and help them. They are a
hard class Of people to understand, as
they are backward about talking and
live in secluded place in the hills. Thelr
diet consist of rice and fish and fruits
Nature seems to provide plentifully for
CS n StAiN
fish and the fruits are plentiful. There
is bread-fruit which grows on tall trees
looks like a cOcoanut and has a very
peculiar smell-in fact so peculiar tha'
one can smell it for about geo yards
e For this reason I am a to tel
e you what it lasts like. but it Il
!. greatly priced by the natives, who de
. YOUR it greedily. Then there are ba
ana ~cOcOanuts, mangos pineapple
and numerous other fruits that I do no
known the name Of. but you may o.
assured the soldiers have a name TO
n everything. The only thing cultivated
is rice. which is raised in large guam
{ titles, and is the Moros' only occupa
n ton. Their houses are built Of bambo
e and neipa and covered with grass
e which grows to an amazing helgnt l
the lowlands. Their dresses are yer
IS brief. a loin cloth and turban. It
a very amusing to see some Of the WON
le en- who have tried to make a dress Q
# American pattern, as they will secur
,s goods of the 'lOudest" cOlOrS and flow
is ers imaginable, and make them int
~ the most nhear Of shape. The
re dress-makers are evidently not OF Tn
modern school. Nevertheless they ar
contented with the thought that the
. are all the same Americana SenOrita.
~. The religion is MOhammedan. Ur
,d der no circumstances can you get thel
~ to touch a piece of pork, much less es
it, and they will not wear a hat. n
- a~musements are cock-fighting, gamt
- ling and according to the America
20 term, they are certainly sports, as the
re will bet their last cent, and even the
"a clothes, on a chicken fight or a mon
No card. In every town they have the
Of market place where they bring the
sir fruits and bolos for sale. and at the:
o. market places there is always a cocl
81 nit where the whole country assembl
tn on Sunday to fight chickens ar
gamble.
The climate is not so a as yt
think from what you have heard II
thermometer never registers as ms
Of here as it does in some places IN Il
:, states, but the air is so full of mo1stu
H. as TO make the heat almost ~unbearab
rs. because it is suffocating.-Statesvi
Landmark.