ch. xi.] Former Civilisation. 217 



older pile dwellings rather pretty in design, but not at all 

 equal to the free and vigorous carving of the Sulus. 



The older manufactures again, such as krisses, barongs, 

 spear-heads, betel-boxes, indeed metal work generally, 

 and particularly the artistic element, were formerly much 

 finer than is now the case. The Sulus themselves, a 

 well-built and originally a brave race, have deteriorated, 

 and after resisting the incursion of their old enemies, the 

 Spaniards, for generations, indeed centuries, are now 

 utterly dispirited. Some of their chiefs indeed have in- 

 trigued with their old foes, and the result is that their 

 country, and probably the last of her Sultans, is virtually 

 under Spanish rule. The Sultan himself is a bright 

 and intelligent man, but given to opium smoking, and 

 some of his headmen and Datus composing the " ruma 

 bichara," a council chamber by which the Sulu has long 

 been governed, taking advantage of his ease-loving nature 

 have beguiled him with flattery, and advised him to sign 

 one treaty after another until the entire Sulu Archipelago 

 may now be considered as virtually belonging to the 

 Philippine government. 



As a race the Sulus are well developed, taller, and 

 paler in colour than the Malays generally. The women 

 are often very pleasing, with luxuriant hair and bright 

 expressive eyes. Some of them, notably the wives and 

 daughters of the chief men, are very pale, white almost in 

 comparison with the women of the island, who are more 

 often exposed to the effects of climate and labour. 

 Several ladies of the court were pale in colour, with 

 regular Italian-like features, and one of the wives of Datu 

 Haroun — a sweet gentle creature — might readily have 

 been mistaken for a European. She was essentially 

 lady-like in voice and manner, and deserved a far better 

 fate than that of nominal wife, but virtually slave of a 



