Evening star., 1924-09-21

they continued their piracy long af-
ter the Spaniards came in. For more
than 300 years war was waged
between them and Spain, and when
we took possession the Spsntards
had been able to hold only a few
walled towns here and there. This
little city of Jolo was one OF those
towns.
FIRST saw Jolo 25 years ago. It
then had !, 900 inhabitants. IT has
now 5000 or more, and is one of the
most beautiful of all the settlements
of the Philippine Islands. 1t has
wide streets which cross one another
at right angles, and are shaded by
gigantic trees, the limbs of which
meet and intertwine overhead, max
ing series of arbors that protect
one from the blazing midday sun.
The town has small parks filled with
tropical trees and flowers. 1t has
canals running through IT, and the
main street ends in a pier running
out into the ocean.
An interesting feature of the town
is it's wall. which was built by the
Spaniards to defend themselves from
the Moro pirates. 1t is only feet in
height, being built of brick on a con-
crete base a yard thick. 1t could
easily be battered down by a cannon,
and was intended to protect the Span
iards from the lances and arrows of
the Moros. There are holes in it just
wide enough for a gun to be poked
through. For a long time the NOR
tar on the top Of the wall was filled
with broken wine bottles, which cut
the fingers of the pirates when they
tried to climb over. The town now
has many comfortable homes. occu-
pied for the most part by Filipinos
and Americans. Here also are the
headquarters of the Filipino con-
stabulary. who are the police of the
island.
When / first came to Jolo saw the
Moros as they were before they had
been changed by American rule.
Most of them were armed to the
teeth. Nearly every one had kris,
or long, wavy- -bladed sword, at his
side, but they were all friendly and
interested in the new things brought
in by our soldiers. I remember the
surprise of the Sultan of Sulu when.
after the ice plant was started, one
of the crystal blocks was put in his
hand. He dropped it as though it
were red-hot iron, and it was some
time before they could get him to
take a drink of ice water. After his
first glass, however, he wanted to
drink all the time, and every Moro
of his party absorbed gallon or
more. The sultan wanted sugar in
his ice water. Later he tasted ice
cream, but thought it too cold and
took cake instead.
The Moros could not understand
electricity. The sultan was surprised
that the light globes did not burn
his hands, and when the electric fan
was started he had to be warned to
keep his hands off. He was aston
ished at a telephone which was put
up on one of the ships, and after he
had listened to it he and the other
Moros went around the vessel put
ting their ears against every con-
ceivable projection and wondering II
the things would speak.
One of the ships had a phonograph
which Gen. Bates had brought in.
This was shown to the Moros and
among others to Rajah Muda, the
present Crown Prince. The Moros
were allowed to talk into the phono-
graph, and were greatly surprised
later when they heard the machine
reproduce what they had said. Soon
fter one of them went to the mouth
of a 6-inch gun and shouted into ii
some verses of the Koran. He then
put his ear against the gun and
waited for a reply. Rajah Muda
spoke a message into the machine to
the Datto Tantong of Bongao, and
when that datto heard the words. of
the phonograph he recognized the
voice of Muda and thought he had