Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-25
'irates and Buried Loot in the South Seas

both hands and his weather eye cooked on the
convexty of the graceful sail above his head.
Beneath that vast and spreading sheet, which
was patterned with Moro zigzags and cubes, the
vinta'S 35-foot hull looked like slender twig
the water.
Musli'S Samal house on the cocoanut island
swiftly hove in sight-built, usual, high up
on pies-and We came alongside with the cor
rectness and docility of a liner at a quay I
had watched curiously to see how Musli would
stow such a cumbrouS stretch of sail. It
the neatest job in the world. While he lowered
it gently his small son wound it up on the lower
book by a crosSpiece. They unlocked 1t from
the hoisting block and lifted it into its place
ON the platform of the boat, where couple Of
hardwood forks were dashed with rattan to
receive it.
With the vinta riding saucily at her moorings,
Musli led the way into his house The family
slept in big room, where the beds were
screened with dark-bue mosquito net, and the
floor gay with mats woven in all the colors
of the rainbow. Having dined, we all reclined
upon the mats on the floor while one of Muslis
musicians produced an instrument similar to a
xylophone, except that the keys which he beat
with pair of drumStickS, were made of bamboo.
It's notes singularly soft, haunting and
soothing. Then Moro sang wildly, in the
manner of MINISTRIES of olden times improvising
verse after verse in an epic narrative of the
deeds of the Moro pirate kings OF the Far East.
Every evening in Muslis house the Ministries
sang and the musician thrummed his native
instrument I loved to listen, stretched at my
ease on a woven mat, my pipe between my
teeth. There was some spell in that wild music
that appealed to my adventurous spirit. Often
when I turned in at night could family hear
Muslis friend ccaxing strange music from the
bamboo keys of his instrument
MuslfS sick brother bad. The calomel
gave him did him good, but Immediately he
began to feel better he celebrated the occasion
by devouring a heavy meal OF shenhsh
fever patient who does that sort of thing Is
asking for trouble. had an urgent message
to return to the sick mans bedside. decided
to stay with him for few days, dose him
properly and take good care that he didn't get
up to any more fool tricks.
The orchid hunter and manganese prospector,
who is also family doctor to the adjacent VIII
lagos has very little time to lead the gay life.
and my hands were pretty full However,
pulled Muslis brother through, located a valu-
able deposit of manganese and collected an
interesting species of the orchid The sad fate
of the plants which gathered for export has
already been described. The sea that broke
over our vinta on the return voyage killed the
lot. The manganese business, however, was car
ried through to an eminently satisfactory con-
clusion. 1t was certainly rather remarkable
coincidence that located the stuff in belt
of mangroves that almost touched the place
where my patient lived.
After a few weeks of careful testing on the
spot was convinced of the value of the deposit
and made a deal with the Moro owners of the
land. Work started within q few months, e.
soon as shipping arrangements had been COM
pleted.
I am bound to say that the Moros entered
into the spirit of the undertaking handsomely
but their honest engagement in business enter
prise Is enough to make old Sarangani turn
over in his grave. To q business friend OF mine
once remarked that the evolution Of the Moros
from piracy to capitalism seemed very strange
indeed.
'why?" he said, and went on writing check&
(Copyright. 1879