Evening Star Newspaper, March 24, 1900, Page 12

12 THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 1900-24 PAGES. JOLO JOLLITIES —.———— Surprising and Impressing the Sultan of Sulu. ee MORO SPEAR DANCE, KRIS AND JABUL eae | American Big Guns and Rifles,Ships, | Soldiers, Electricity and Ice. ee DAY IN MAHOMETANAMERIC nidenee « Evening Star.) 1 Archipelago, P.I January 17, 1060, tified the treaty with followers of Ma assortment of sul- and their tans, dat followers, a } nineteenth ce eproduction of the feudal system which regulates their rela- tion to one another, and certain fruitful | and beautiful trop’ islands which they inhabit. The Sulu archipelago proper, Mindanao and Palawan (for the exact location, size and population of which see the ge =). phies and the encye contain bulk of the Moros or Mahometan Filipinos. The conditions of the problem set for us in this part of the Philippines differ widely from those which confront us in Luzon. Here are no insurgents and no friars to vex us. But in thelr place Mahometan polygamy and the semi-slavery of the feu- @al system promise the possibility of trou- ble for the future. Spain's sovereignty here to which we have succeeded, though fully recognized, was e teedingly feeble, and was bolstered up by SULTAN OF SULU 1. Sultan Hadji Mahomed Jamalul Kiram. Hadji Batu, prime minister and pri Otto Bassarudin, third principal adviss Hadji Mat Aitul Vahab, interpreter to Major Owen J. Sweet, 234 T Capt. Wm. H. Sage, 23d U. Charles Schuck, U sitan, AND SUITE AND THE GOVERNOR OF JOLO. Datto Rajah Mnda Mahom:d Mualil Wasit, elder brother and Lelr-apparent to the sultanate. med Sali, sword bearer and messenger ‘to sultan. S. Infantry, commanding, governor of Jolo. . Infantry, adjutant, amd secrtary of Sulu affairs. . transintor and interpreter Sulu affail throughout all of the Mahometan Philip- pines cheerfully accepted. evidence of mutual confidence the As Moro, when he enters a city like Jolo, the American headquarters !n the Sulu archi- pelago, disarms at the gate; and so when SPEAR DANCE AT JOLO. ions to the | ecially the 1 of Jolo. with and ns or dattes agreem! represen: | ly reco Bway. Own, does not recognize him at all. Pai an. Even in the sulta o there are dattos who, 1 ly owning all 2 to him, eke the powerful arons of the midd: believe t elves stronger quarrel with him wever, in t 20,000 fight- mpt for death ¢ tendency frem the med- ntervent n Asiati America. of ms Moros dangerous i th and # opera- » verbal and effectively s to other sultans and f religious liberty > Moro idea of ir nee with pictures a fanatie whose high to cut down the hated Mos- fashion that their own ertain contidence through sume de A Chris- } soldiers for the American officer or soldier goes out into the country, as from Zamboanga, he also © policy of disarm- has the additional antage of removing temptation from the individual and unrege murde the te Moros to am- ed officers or securing their h coveted buseade and of h are mt g this fighting race » Festivities. 16th of January, 1), was a great lay for Jolo. An army transport was in the harbor bringing to the American offi- The cers stationed there a second installment of women visit recorded In the red-letter chronicles of the Am an military occu- ing celebrated both by Moro and American festivities. Our party landed early from the trans- port, the Jaunch scattering the native ca- noes with outriggers which hung about the ship, displaying Moro products for sale. Jolo boasts a lMghthouse and stone pler, and on landing there we were met not only by representatives of the American officers, hut by Jolo’s native chief of police, with the coat-of-arms of the United States con- spicuously displayed on his brass-buttoned ja t, and by a delegation of private citi- zens of both sexes, a‘l sizes and every de- gree of nakedness. . Jolo 1s a miniature walled town, with broad, clean, tree-lined streets. It has room within its tiny inclosure for a popu- lation of a few hundred and fs surrounded by a loop-holed wall eight feet high. Its cleanliness, airiness, pul tructures, flow- ers and follage make it exceedingly attract- ive. In its improvements it is primarily a monument to the energy «nd wisdom of the Spanish general, Arolas, who, being sent here by Sp: as a pestiferous liberal to take his chances of life in a recognized pest hole, nst been expected, drove the dis might have producing ad of dying, conditions from Jolo as readily as he ex- pelled the Moros at the bayonets’ point from Maibun. A very broad street, as wide as Pennsyl- vanla avenue, leads from the pier straight to the south wall. It serves the purpose of a plaza and of a parade or review ground for Jolo. This was the scene of the main Ivities of the ¢ beginning with na~ 2s, to be followed by a review of the American troops. Picturesque Moro Villages. Before the formal c n began we ted two native ges adjacent to Tolo. ssing through the picturesque main gate of the city we saw, just outside, plebrati panish disarming station, now used as a bolo (knife) market, This station is a raised pavilion Inecloced in wire network. In the old days the Spanish soldier stood, as it were, in his cage and recetved the knife of the Moro before he entered Jolo. This precaution was taken after several Spanish soldiers had been cut down by Moros during the process of disarmament. The pavilion ts still a disarmament station, but the inducement thereto is no longer a threatening rifle, but the allurement of gold or silver coin. The barong, with its short, heavy, effective blade and its hilt of carved wood, ivory or silver, the kris, with its wavy, twisting, fascinating blade and the same varleties of hilt as in the case of the barong, and the campilan, with its long blade broadening in eccentric shape at the point and with its elaborately carved wooden hilt adorned by bells and stained horse-hair, were sold Cock-P1T. were to be brought together in an combination of Asiatic and , the great occasion be- MAIN GATE OF JOLQ AT ‘THE TULEI The Suitan of Sulu, whose shanty- Was at h E pital of Mal- . some twelve y, on the other of the beautiful little Island of Jolo, | also a guest. And these distinguished | and at a notable advance over the market price to the members of our party. In our humble civilian way we have contributed conspicuously and effectively: to th je disar- mament of the Moros. oe Next we proceeded to the nipa-hut fishing j Village of Bus-Bus, with the few owners of unsold barongs and krises following in our train. On land Bus-Bus consists of a sin- gle, narrow, filthy, ill-smelling street, which was now for its entire length a na- tive market, where brilliantly colored fish, fruits and vegetables were exposed for sale, and where our Darty loaded itself down with s; rs, parrots, monkeys, hats, mats, sarongs, jabuls cocoanuts, bananas and sw mangasteens. The Bus-Busites rmed about us in every condition of dress and undress. There were many sam- ples of the characteristic native costumes, with the ‘ sarong and jabul for the women and Ught-fitting trousers, small jacket and voluminous sash for the men, but the most frequent costume of all showed as its domi- nating characteristic the brown skin of the native unadorned. Most of Bus-Bus Is a water city, a collection of nipa huts, bullt far out into the bay on piles, and ap- proached by a single, long, narrow, rickety bamboo bridge. Bus-Bus is as safe from attack by land as the villages of the lake- dwellers of Europe of an earlier age. On the other side of Jolo we visited a second native village called Tulei, which boasts the house at which the sultan stops in large quantities : when visiting Jolo, and is the scene of the cockfighting, the absorbing: popular pas- time here as in Luzon.'* * “A Native Cockifights. The cockfighting whieh we saw at Tulei took place in a sort ‘of bainboo pen. A_ fragile bamboo framewurk formed an over- looking gallery. As iy mugh of our own horse racing the gambling connected with the sport is the main“attraction, and the betting is even more fast arid furlous than the fighting. A long, razor-gdged, murder- ous gaff ts attached tothe Jeft foot of the fighting cock, and as a'rule one of the com- batants ts killed In a few geconds. Cock- fighting 1s not permitted {n,Manila, but is allowed in Cavite on Sunday, and nearly every male native passenger on the Cavite ferry boat on that day carries a game cock under his arm, which he brings back in the evening either with feathers victori- ously ruffled or picked and ready for the pot in sign of defeat. The game cock is unquestionably the national bird, the eagle emblem of the Philippines. There was far more excitement and enthusiasm over the fighting cocks at Tulei than over the sultan himself. At Tulei we visited a hut where with crude looms Moro women were weaving cloth for sarongs and sashes, and others Were making rude clay pottery. Delicate materials like the jusi and the pina made out of the pineapple leaf fiber by the Visa- yans and the Tagalogs are not produced here. We walked from Tulet through a palm- lined avenue to the “Princess d’Asturias,” a former Spanish block house, now used as a barracks for a company of our soldiers. In returning to Jolo we passed through groves of bananas and scattered coffee and lemon. trees. Moro Spear Dances. The native dances took place in the plaza in the welcome shade of tall trees of tropi- cal density of foliage. The spectators formed a circle. Chairs protected from the surging crowd by a rope occupied a section of the ring and were used by the American women and other distinguished visitors. Moros in every variety of picturesque at- tire, further diversified by an occagjonal soldier, rounded out the circle and supplied an exhibit almost as interesting as the dancers themselves. On the Moro side of the circle was the native tom-tom orches- tra. Two wooden drums were beaten by men’s hands. Three gongs suspended from @ rope at regular intervals were struck by sticks tightly bound with cords to muffle the sound. Eight small copper-covered pots, standing on cords above a hollow, wooden box, were beaten in an intended tune by bamboo sticks, In the center of the circle were placed a large, heavy wooden shield and a long spear with bells at the handle. The first actor-dancer was dressed in the customary royal prerogative of delay. He had been expected the day before, but in the after- noon his sword bearer, a comical mannikin, galloped up to the cammanding officer, Major Sweet, while he was with our party from the transport, shook hands enthusias- tieally with everybody, and annontnced that his majesty had found difficulty in securing the necessary horses and would not arrive until next day. The sword bearer there- upon returned to Maibun, bearing to the sultan, it is alleged, such accounts of the American houris then assembled at Jolo that his majesty proceeded forthwith to catch his horse and to gallop over in the evening to Tulel, just outside the wall of Jolo town. His reception was: then fixed for the next morning, but as the hour ap- proached his sword bearer again appeared and announced that his highness, who was fasting, was too feeble to endure excite- ment at that period of the day, but would undergo the ordeal in the afternoon. Now, however, the sultan is really com- ing and all previous disappointments are forgotten. We met his highness at the main gate, attended by his two brothers, his prime minister, Datto Calvi, the Moro chief living nearest to Jolo, and a motley crowd of armed and unarmed retainers. The procession, with its show of bright and, in some cases, of rich fabrics, its sil- ver and ivory and gold in kris hilts and betel-nut boxes, and rubbing close against this richness its rags and filth and naked- ness, sets Mother Goose’s jingle to ringing in one’s ears: “Hark, hark, the dogs do bark, The beggars are coming to town; Some in rags, and some in tags, And some in a velvet gown.” We were introduced and shook hands with the sultan as informally as if he were Mr. Smith of Kalamazoo. His majesty is short and chubby, with a dark, puffy, pock- marked face, a thin mustache of the rudi- mentary Japanese type, which failed to cover an ugly mouth, and the dull eye of the blase, unenthusiastic Turk. His filed and betel-stained teeth are decayed and blackened. He wore a European suit of ight gray, with white shirt and collar (but lacking tie and cuffs), tan shoes and a close-fitting black velvet turban. A very broad, loosely-tied cotton sash encircled his waist and was in its breadth and in the extent to which it fell below the bottom of his coat the incongruous element in his Eu- ropean costume. He wore several rings, including a large pearl; a gold watch chain showed conspicuously outside his coat, and he carried a black, silver-headed cane. The crown prince, the sultan’s next younger brother, was much more alert and prepossessing in appearance. He was dressed in the picturesque native costume, varying it only by wearing a pair of black patent Jeather pumps. His barong, with its finely carved ivory hilt, attracted the-eye. The sultan and each datto had close at BUS-BUS MARKET, tight trousers and jacket, a brilliant sash with his barong thrust through its folds, and a turban made by folding a bright col- ored square of cloth. The sleeves of his absurd little jacket were long and came as if he had well down over his hands, outgrown the garment in body, but had shrunken in length of arm. The dancer picked up the spear and shield, looked quickly to the right and Jeft for his tmagi- nary antagonist, caught sight of him and advanced with spear pointed toward him, protecting himself with the shield. He cir- cled around his enemy, thrusting again and again, glancing over his shield with a flerce and cunning expression to note the effect of his blow and to alm another. Fin- ally, a well-directed stroke placed his enemy at hjs mercy. Unsheathing his barong he decapitated his antagonist and retired in triumph. In the next war dance two men partici- pated, each with shield and spear, and they tmitated in every detail the actual battie, glaring ferociously, advancing, dodging, thrusting, parrying with the shield until one gave way, and the victor strutted from the ring amid the loudest cries of the Moro bystanders, who had kept up a con- stant shouting during the whole encounter. Then followed peace dances, in which men, women and children appeared in suc- cession. A mat was spread in that part of the circle where the shade was deepest. The orchestra emitted its doleful notes. The women, who were the most interesting in this dance, glided two at a time upon the mat and began a performance of Del- sarte posturing with the hands and arms, to which an extraordinary undulating movement was given, writhing, twisting and turning in serpentine curves, bringing every muscle in these members Into play, and apparently demonstrating that the dancers were boneless wonders so far as the hand, wrist and arm are concerned. The only other parts of the body which seem to participate even slightly in this so-called dance are the feet, which keep the body gliding slowly in a emall circle while the arms are undulating. In America and Europé the legs dance. In Egypt the body achieves so-called danc- ing. In Jolo the function ts transferred still farther upward and the arms and shoulders have their day. The women dancers,,were dressed in a long, straight skirt falling to the ankle, a close-fitting, tight-sleeved jacket extending several inches below -the ,walst, and a brightly colored straight ‘garment, called the jabul, serving as a head wrap, and stretching over one shoulder and under- neath the other arm, thence falling to the bottom of the skirt. The toes of their bare feet were pushed into heelless slippers sev- eral sizes too small, which were held in place in some miraculous fashion. The performance concluded with more spear dancing by the men, including a snake dance, in which the performer indi- cated in pantomime the pain and horror of one bitten by a serpent, which had hidden under his shield. The Sultan of Sulu Appears. Ward was now received that the sultan was really coming, and all the Jolo world Moved toward the south gate in order to meet him. His majesty had exercised the hand a servant, carrying a silver or brass box, in which were all the necessary ingre- dients for betel chewing. The youngest brother of the sultan was not deterred by the solemnity of the occasion from indul- gence in the hebit, and he chewed and emitted blood-red expectorations uninter- ruptedly. The compantes of the 28d Regiment at Jolo were drawn up in front of the gate to salute in honor of the sultan. The stal- wart, disciplined, well-armed and effective soldiers contrasted conspicuously with the miscellaneous, irregularly armed rabble which attended the sultan. The party now proceeded to the plaza, where the companies paraded and were re- viewed. When the Star Spangled Banner was played, and also when the flag passed, the sultan and his retinue stood up with the other Americans, A Big Gun Salute to the Sultan. After the dress parade the sultan and dattos and some of the attendants were taken out on the launch to the transport, and Just before we reached the ship seven- teen guns were fired from it in salute. We were 80 close at hand that the reports Jarred severcly upon the sultan’s nerves. At the first reverberation he grasped a post of the launch with one hand and braced himself against his seat with the other. He is not, however, unfamiliar with heavy gun firing, having been saluted by other American ships and by the British at Singapore. It was explained to the royal party on the launch that the guns which made so much noise were comparatively small af- fairs; that some of the American guns were as long as the launch itself, and could shoot from Jolo’ harbor to Matbun. This state- ment created an obvious sensation. On the transport the sultan fired one of the six-pounders, and with his party in- spected the entire ship. The Moros were most impressed by the electric light, which some of them hesttatingly felt to see if it would burn; and the electric fan, the breeze from which was a mystery and a source of joy. At 6 o'clock the sultan could break his fast. So at that hour his party was es- corted to the ship's saloon that it might enjoy a ght luncheon. The royal fast was thoroughly broken. Judging from their achievements at table the remainder of the party, as well as the-sultan, had been fast- ing for an indefinite period. They held pos- session long past the dinner hour of the ship. After one Moro (not, however, at the sultan’s table) had experimented with ice water and ‘lived, he passed {t to his table associates. They sipped it and forth- with all ordered ice water, but before drinking it made a heavy drain upon the sugar resources of the ship in order to sweeten the beverage sufficiently. Ice itself was a fascinating mystery to them, to be touched only with fear and trembling, and after some officer in whom they had confi- dence. had braved the danger. Some of them tried bold experiments with buttered bread, their first experience. All drank co- piously of coffee and consumed with exas- perating slowness vast quantities of cakes. raisins, nuts, small pickicd omtons and olives. It is to be hoped that no one of the Moro guests had internal reasons later We Can Now Supply Our Patrons With From the Celebrated Missisquoi Spring of Sheldon, Vt For 40 Years the Most Efficient Water in This Country KIDNEY and BLADDER TROUBLES AND DISEASES of the BLOOD. E. P. Mertz, Eleven-Ten F Street N. W. ASSISQUO!L | that night for suspecting that the Amer cans, under pretense of doing him honor, had tried to poison him. His Majesty Unbends. The sultan who had been sullen and sulky in appearance until he had broken his fast now blossomed out into cheerful- | | | nishing entertainment and instruction to a few Americans through a novel experience, serve @ useful end practical purpose in im- pressing upon the leading Moros the power; and diversity of resources of the nation whose sovereignty they have recently rece: ognized. The American influence over them} MAIN STREET OF BUS-BUS. ness and affability. He came up on deck and through his interpreter conversed with the Americans. He said gallantly that he could now form an idea of what Americ must be like after seeing this great ship and the American ladies upon it. One of the ladies aforesaid intimated that Amerl- ca was much grander than the sultan could imagine on the suggested basis, and concluded by saying that there were build- ings in at least one of our cities that were twenty-one stories high. At this bit of statistics the sultan gave a distinct cluck, which may have been an exclamation of astonishment and admiration or, on the other hand, may have indicated incredulity, The suggestion that the sultan should come to America and settle the matter by per- sonal inspection was received by him with dignified enthusiasm. He wished very much to visit America, and hoped that some day he might be able to do so. He had been to Mecea and wished to enlarge his travel experiences. The crown prince also showed a lively interest in the su; ted American trip. and asked how many would be reauired to make it. Encouraged by this unbending with the representatives of the women of America, some of the ship's party inveigled the sul- tan into the captain’s cabin and induced him to make for them a few autograph signatures, but he soon wearled of this labor. When he found that I came from the capital city of the republic he forward- ed through The Star his greeting to the President of the United sin the fol- lowing words: Finally the royal party went ashore, and its entertainers rushed ravenously to the saloon. The day's festivities concluded with a ball given at Major Sweet's headquarters by the officers of the regiment to the Amer- ican women on the transport. The sultan’s youngest brother represented the royal family on this occasion, the others being exhausted by the labors of the da The youngster was accompanied by three of his retainers and the interpreter. He is nine- teen and has only three wives in his palac He 1s looking for another. He sat chew ing constantly the betel nut and watching intently the waltzing couples. He ex- pressed himself as highly pleased with the American dancing, and as enjoying the music much more than that of the Span- jards. The Spanish had, however, never invited him to a ball, he said. When re- freshments were passed he evidently viewed the ice cream With suspicion and distrust. The interpreter explained to him that all American women were very fond of the dish, and that the ladies present were anxious that he should taste it. ‘Thereupon he reluctantly put aside his betel quid and took two mouthfuls of the cream. He immediately pronounced the verdict: “It is very cold,” and devoted him- self to the cake, to which the sweet-toothed Moros seemed to take kindly. Something of a cloud was thrown upon the day's enjoyment at the eleventh hour by the news that in his visit to the trans- port the-sultan had lost or been robbed of his cane. The first report was to the effect that the missing article was his sacred cane from Mecca: that he had demanded that the ship be stopped and searched for it; that in the event of failure to produce it no compensation short of the annexation of the American women on the ship as ad- ditional wives would be satisfactory, and that lacking both cane and women he would promptly declare war. Later ni howevs disclosed that the missing was not the eacred cane with the jeweled handle, but a darker stick with a plain sil- ver head. And our ladies breathed more easily. The events of the day, in addition to fur- is strengthened in proportion as they ar moved to wonder and admiration by things, American. Their impressions of the repube lic are practically all to be formed. Most, of them have never before even heard of, the United States. The trip of the sultan; and a few of his retainers to Mecca repras sents the most extensive foreign travel of; the ruling fam’ If the sultan himself is} avariciously stolid, and subject only to thet influence of money, tt is not neces- ly the case with hi . who may, succeed him, or with his chiefs and advis~; The ability of the Americans to sway, the forces of nature, as demonstrated to the More mind in the applications of electricity, and in the making of ice, creates deep? an impre the show of military, strength in the fine dress parade of armed gants and in the booming of the great guns, The indications of interest in and re- gard for th have also a good effect. One of the hardest factors to be overcome In the real pacification of the Filipinos,’ which is to follow the war, ts their resent~ ment of contemptuous treatment by many, of our soldiers, who, adopting the term from English residents in Manila, have sy: tematically spoken of the Fillpinos and treated them as “niggers.” If we are to follow English example we should be wiser to imitate the policy of Engi ix an dealing with the native princes who hold ions with t gover show: f strength, Spe ing both of consideration « and an app 1 he the a- ar, ¢ effective ) Asiatio peoples. The suggested trip of the sultan and his brothers ¢ the most powerful dattos fail to have the the maintens in the Sulu archiy of amicable relations between Americans and Moros. THEODORE W NOYE os Introdaced in the House. Among the bills and resolutions lucea in the House yesterday were wwe Ing: By Mr. Stephens (Tex: providing for sing of the ark Ss of Untied Mr. Wachter of Maryland, he laws relating to the revent set vice. Mr. Shafroth (Col.), into the Union as a s: perp. j ing to acquire the right to const Nicaragua canal through t Mr. tzgerald ¢ ing the Pos ter Ge book “Sapho” from the Free to the Ruptured | DR. W. 8. RICE, THE WELL-KNOWN AUTHOR- ITY, SENDS A TRIAL OF HIS FAMOUS METHOD FREE TO ALL. There are people who have been toriuring them- selves for years with trusses. It ix hoped their at- tention will be drawn to Dr. Rice's free offer. Aa DR. 8. BALL, elderly and retired physician, Dr. S. Ball Marion, Ala., is one of the hundreds attracted to this generous announcement, and as a result he is now completely cured of x bad rupture which was / of very hard to bold. Althongh 72 years of age, he had the courage and determination to try this new and novel method, and now he lieves in peace, contentment and security. Dr. Ball looks back to the old days of crude methods and in comparison hafls the Wonderful inetbed of Dr. Rice as a mar velous God-send to the present generations. By all means write at om Dr. W. C. Rice, 488 8, and he will send you a home cure for rupture. operation or an hour's and by starting now you will be sound and well by carly spring. ja27-shwtoup30-69