12 OMAHA ILLUSTRATED 35EE. November 20 , isoo.
The Sultan of Sulu and
His Comic Opera Court
MANILA , Oct. 1 , 1800. The nultnn of Sulu
la now our great anil good friend. Thin has
long ngo been chronicled In tlio newspapers ,
which have told that this queer potentate of
the east has signed a convention with us.
Ho lives at Maybun , the capital of the Sulu
archipelago , with his harem ; ho Is virtually
n citizen of the United Sfntcfl , and Is to
enjoy the protection of our army and our
navy , yet ho keeps hlH royal residence and
keeps his harem. The story of how ho came
under our ( Ing Is now told for the first time.
The largest of the Sulu archipelago group
IB Mindanao , but the potentate who rules
over the group liven on the Iwland of Sulu.
The Inhabitants arc called "Moros , " and
there In an emphatic distinction between
them and all other KIllplnoH. Agulnaldo's
name means nothing In the Sulu archlpal-
ago , and the Spanish foothold there was
slippery. The subjugation of this group
presented n different proposition from that
which was being considered In Luzon and
the Vlsayan group. Though the "Moroa"
are a more warlike people , our dealings
with them have BO far been In the realm of
diplomacy , not of arms.
The federal nystcm , which was broiieht
to a state of perfection In mediaeval Eu-
lopp , has prevailed more crudely In some
of the I'acinc Islands. During the ago of
the crusades the southern Islands of the
Philippines were given part of their popula
tion and language , and their religion , to
which they have clung tenaciously. Traces
of Arabic and Sanscrit are to bo found In
the Sulu language ; It wa from Arabia that
the ancient * emigration took place. The
Mores nro subject to petty chiefs called
"dattos , " and those In turn arc subject to
the sultans of Mindanao and of Sulu , the
latter being the overlord and claiming the
allegiance of the former. It was to the sul
tan of Sulu , therefore , that the Spaniards
made overtures , and with whom they
finally made an agreement , the articles of
which wore mutually disregarded. It waste
to secure a continuance of this agreement
that General John C. nates wn dlspatchcl
to hold parley with his august majes'y ,
Lori I'adka Malm Lori Montana Sultan Hadji
Mulmmed Jamalul Klram.
Common SIMINU Midi 11 SiiHiui.
The general went to Jolo , across the Island
from Maybun , with no other Instructing
except to use common sense. For several
weeks ho remained there without seeing the
sultan , who felt Indisposed. Conferences
wore held with the powerful chiefs and
"dattos , " and the meeting with his royal
highness wna finally arranged to take place
at the palnco ot the sultan. The United
States cruiser Charleston , Captain PIgman
commanding , was nt Jolo , and It was do-
cldcd that this should take the genera ] to
Maybun. I happened to bo ono of a email
party which was making the tour of the
Islands on the government transport Penn
sylvania. There were other American women
besides myself on board , and wo had the
good fortune to bo included In an Invitation
to attend the conference , extended by Cap
tain PIgman and General Bates.
Wo were not only destined to bo the first
American women to sot foot on the Island
of Sulu , but wo were also to bo the first
to behold the sultan.
Ono of the most powerful chiefs on the
Island , named "Datto Calvl , " was on board
with his suite ; wo eat on the after bridge
most of the time , and asI looked down on
the dock below I could hardly realize that I
was not In a balcony seat of a Now York
play house watching a comic opera. No
Italian bandits or other stage heroes who
exult In the triumph of the costumers' art
over presented a more picturesque or feroc
ious appearance than our band cf Moros. The
physlclal difference between the Mores and
other Filipinos to as great as that of tlfelr
customs and religion. Their dress Is essen
tially barbaric In Its cut and coloring. In
stead of the loose white shirt and trousers
of the northern Islanders , the Mores wear
clrso-nttlng suits of gaudy cotton or silk ,
the quality and ornamentation depending
on the means or rank of the Individual. No
Moro stirs abroad without a "barong" or a
"krls" thrust In his sash. These knives arc
beautifully made and their edges arc ground
as keen as a razor. The Moro sometimes
uses thorn for a general utility , as the Cuban
uses the "machete , " but they arc often em
ployed for a more sinister purpose. A
"barong" deftly handled makes short work
ot Sulu who was capable of acting as Gen
eral Bates' Interpreter , a young German who
was born thcro and had married a native
woman. All our communications at Maybun
were conducted through him. There was a
certain program laid out for us ; wo were
flrot to proceed to the residence of the
dowager sultana , who lived within the
crowded precincts of the village. Whllo wo
were looking this way and that , trying to
discern a building sufficiently magnificent to
bo the abode of ono so exalted In rank wo
were halted before a small house , the cen
tral one of a group of huts , distinguished
only from those that surrounded It by the
fact that It was cnstructed of rough planks ,
THE "DATTO" ON THE SHIP.
of the life of a human being , and the Mores
arc skilled In this sort of carving.
Scornvil Our Kooil.
The "Datto Calvl" had expressed so much
friendliness for our government that Gen
eral Bates thought that he would have a
favorable Inlluonco on the eultan. But It
was Impossible , both for reasons of state
and safety , for him to travel without a suf
ficient number of followers to uphold his
dignity. The "datto" himself was a young
follow , and quite a dude , according to Moro
standards. Ho was a man that would bo
singled out anywhere as used to command ;
ho strutted across the deck in a manner In
imitable , his turban of raw silk tied with a
style and a strong Individuality , and his
clothes showing a certain harmony of taste
they consisted of but two pieces. The
"datto" was followed everywhere by the
betel nut carrier , who kept him continually
supplied with a g.c-d "chow ; " his other re
tainers wore men at arms and dressed only
less gorgeously than the "datto" himself.
They were shown all the civilized wonders
lu the way of guns on board , and were spe
cially Interested In the rapld-flrc gun with a
string of cartridges. A meal was served
them which they found so distasteful that
ono of the suite wan called In to cook some
rice for his lord In the proper stylo.
At half-past 11 wo slowed up opposite
Maybun.
There was only one person on the Island
GROUP OP MOROS THE SULTAN'S YOUNGER BROTHER IN CENTER HOLDING
THH KNIFE.
while the others were of bamboo and nlpa.
Wo were ushered Inside and invited to sit
down. It was the residence of the Sultana
Inchl Jamela , the mother of the present
sultan.
The room Into which wo crowded was not
moro than fifteen , feet long and ten broad.
A table , covered by a cloth , was In the mid
dle and a number of bentwood chairs were
grouped about It , an especially large ono be
ing provided for the general. At ono end
was a sort of couch or divan built of boards ,
over which was thrown a covering of purple
satin , and three of us eat on this. By the
time wo had all crowded in and found seats
the people who had followed us on the tug
arrived. There was a general moving about
to make moro room , extra chairs were
brought in from some interior region and ,
to our surprise , wo found ourselves all ac
commodated , though wedged In so tight that
It was Impossible for one to move without
disturbing the whole roomful. At the end
of the table , opposite General Bates , were
two "dattos" and the sultan's youngest
brother. Outside the door and the cno win
dow was the population of Maybun. It was
a promiscuous mixture of young and old ,
patrician and plebeian , all equally overcome
by intense curiosity. The emotions which
their faces so Ingenuously expressed may bo
seen playing over the countenances of n
young American when bo attends his first
circus.
An attendant placed a glass bowl filled
with water on the table , ono of the
"dattos" leaned over and spit into it a
mouthful of betel nut Juice. To our horror
this was merely a preliminary for refresh
ments , for more retainers appeared with
trays , on which were chocolate In glasses
and plates of peculiar-looking cakes. I shall
never forget the varying expressions which
flitted over the faces of our little band , and
> vhlch finally settled down to a resignation
animated solely by patriotism. These people
ple were evidently setting their best before
us , they were of a race most sensitive where
their hospitality was concerned ; we looked at
each other , Inwardly muttered a prayer
and drank. It Is Impossible to describe
without being able to compare , I know rf
no drink of civilization with which I could
compare this Moro beverage and convey any
Idea of its disgusting llnvor.
Sultana ot Sulu.
The sultana's appearance Is not unpre
possessing ; she was clad in a gown of black
brocade silk , not cut after the latest fashIon -
Ion , and were a scarf of light , figured ma
terlal over her shoulders , and eomo gauzy
stuff like "Jusl" on her head so that her
hair was covered. Her stature is short ,
though It Is hard to Judge Oriental women
by our standards. Her complexion Is lighter
than the average Moro and her small eyre
Bliow both Intelligence and cunning. We
( Continued on Thirteenth Page , )
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OF
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