Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-20

and twelve miles wide. There is a
charm about the name of Sulu. 1t
! seems so remote and far away. We
| prepared ourselves for the town our
! fancy had constructed, a patch of white
houses half buried in waving palm
trees rising from low. white stretch
of coral beach.
What a strange looking island it IS!
Quite unlike any we ever saw before,
for here is a towering purple peak, with
| it's crest in a mantilla of lacy clouds,
and then came, ranged in soldierly pre-
cision by its side, three fiat topped
hills, all of the same shape and size,
and on beyond these another towering,
stately mountain. The middle one Of
the square topped hills is bare of trees
and its smooth sides, green as field OF
young wheat, looks from the sea like
the broad lawns of some big park. On
the very itopmost point of this hill is u
small cluster of trees, which spring
up as Unexpectedly and with apparently
as little purpose as the topknot of a
Japanese baby. The Spanish captain
of the transport told us the hill is
called the sacred HILL because the
tombs of some ancient hadjis are shell
tered by the little bunch of trees, and
we wondered whether we would be safe
in ascending 1t.
cover on the beach to our left was a
hOIO Village WHICH we ledIncu Was
Patikola, where the most powerful of
native princes, or datos, had his home.
AS we steamed farther down the island
there were many native sailboats seen,
all with gorgeously colored sails which
seem more brilliant than even the
rainbow. Imagine a sail made of the
| American flag and you may have some
| idea of the splendor of these Moro
sails.
"O,,r tronsnor+ s,v,,pg IN a 1ono
curve around a jutting point and
away over on the other side of the
harbor lies the town of Jolo 1t looked
like a fashionable seaside resort-all
white and green, and the long stone
pier extending far out in the harbor
waters was ornamented with gay lamp
posts and a bright, octagonal light
house tower. Swarms of Spanish SOL
diers were streaming down to watch
our ship come in.
Jolo Is Beautiful
1.-The nearest point which connected
Jolo with civilization was the little
town of Sandakan, British North Bor-
neo, 200 miles TO the west. You may
imagine how remote and isolated a
place must be when it's nearest port
is a place in the remotest part of the
remote island of Borneo.
I'm an hour after we dropped our
anchor we were landed on the pier,
and then we began to have a complete
idea of the exquisite beauty of Jolo,
the prettiest place in the Philippines.
A huge castellated gateway stands at
the end of the pier, and through this
you pass into the main avenue, Gale
Marina, of Jolo. You at once feel that
you've been dropped down in a park
or a venerable college campus The
street is lined with immense trees that
make a tunnel, even though the street
| is forty yards wide. On the left is
the fine residence of Capt Tiana, the
captain Chinese of the SuIus and his
house. both in situation and extent,
| is the best one in the town. On the
other side is a short row of shops, all
uniform in size and design, and painted
| with delicate shades of coloring Then
there comes a little park with foun-
tain playing deep in the waving trop-
/ zeal verdure that fills it. Then comes
more shops on both sides of the street,
all alike in colorings and a few spread
! ing awnings, beneath which are tables
and chairs, like a Partisan boulevard
| cafe
The streets are as clean as brooms
| can make them, for there are no We
hicles in Jolo, and horses are allowed
in only by special permission All the
architecture is ornate and gayly col
ored, and everything is on such a tiny
scale that you imagine yourself look
ing at some fancy stage setting. All
the streets are alike lined with great
arching trees and thanked here and
there with carefully kept gardens. A
wall twelve feet high surrounds the
town, whitewashed on both sides, and
scattered along it's top are little SEN
try towers, while at the corners ano
gates are fancy block houses. In thirty
minutes you can walk through every
street in the town, for Jolo is scarcely
! more than 500 yards long and 300 yard.