The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-12-17
HE flourishing town of Fam.
boanga. in the Philippine is
lands, is well laid out and
the ever-present Chino sup

life. The military post is
Just outside the fort and supplied with
the most comfortable and pretentious
houses | have seen in any garrison
over here. AS Zamboanga is peace
iul province one can drive through
Morotown without anxiety. The smell
OF dried fish greets one everywhere.
Part of the village is built out over the
water and the glimpses Of life in 1t are
most interesting
At Jolo carriage was waiting for
us and we drove at once beyond the
walled city and out through the IA
nous avenue of palms. Later we
walked beyond the walls, and through
Morotown. Six guards stand before
the gate and warn everyone of the
danger of going beyond the walls on
foot and repeat the prohibition for Of
ficers to do SO unarmed. We were
told that only a few days before our
arrival a Moro had attacked one Of
the guards; but we had not come thus
far to be cheated Of so unusual an en-
perience, and the element OF real
| danger had its charms; so armed with
| loaded revolver, sharp kris and a
parasol we started out. After crossing
the bridge. where we were quite out Of
hearing of the garrison, we walked one
| behind the other and kept sharp
! lookout on every side. At the we'll in
| the center of Morotown we stopped for
good look at the spot where three Of
our soldiers were attacked while they
were sitting there chatting three
months before.
These Moros trace their origin to
the Mohammedan invaders and like all
of their tribe hate Christians and be.
lieve that for every one killed another
degree of felicity Is attained for the
after life. In a condition of religious
insanity the "juramentada" takes an
oath to kill Christians until he himself
is killed. He shaves his eyebrows
| and head, works himself into a state
Of frenzy during night devoted to re-
ligious excuses and then starts out on
the warpath. Death being the only
possible end for him, he is entirely
fearless and reckless.
Beyond the wall in Morotown long
rickety pier runs out into the water
and we walked the length of 1t, enter
/ ing many of the houses to bargain fol
| brass and chow baskets. On these oc
casions we kept our backs to the wal
and hurried on when we noticed any
of them stopping too long to examine
us with their cruel glances. They will
kill as readily to procure a firearm as
for anything else and 1t was impos
sible not to feel constant anxiety, as
we knew the danger to be entirely real
We were too far from the walls FOL
cries to be heard, and even shot, If i
brought rescue at all, could do SO only
too late. 1t was intensely interesting
intensely exciting, but the tension wa!
too great to be pleasure for long
and | was glad to be safe back inside
the walls again. Here we were me
at every turn by Moros selling pearls
and as we had nothing to fear from
those inside we had leisure to examine
them and their wares. Colo is famous
for it's pearl fisheries, and although
the best pearls are bought up befor
they reach the visitors land, SOM
nretty ones can be found.
There was fascination about bein
in the very heart of the country Q
those Malay pirates whose deeds wer
among the favorite stories of chile
hood. The name Sulu is to the inhab
tants of other islands synonymou
with treachery and ferocity. Pirac
was a regular trade among the M
tives, whose daring exploits carrie
them as far as Singapore and Me-
Guinea, where they spread misery an
devastation. IS far north as Nal,
bang on the Celebes sea there ar
blockhouses along the coast for refug
from these sea robbers. Seen frol
the water the toI.n Of Jolo is extreme