ch. xi.] Land Culture. 



221 



and but few if any important matters were decided by the 

 Sultan personally, without the opinion of the native 

 chiefs. During our visit to the Istana His Highness 

 regretted very much that he had not power to drive out 

 the Spaniards. 



The cultural capabilities of the island are considerable, 

 and in the hands of the Spaniards they are likely to be 

 still better developed. The principal cultivated crops 

 are rice, maize, coffee, manilla hemp, cocoa (Tlieobroma 

 Cacao), tobacco, and tapioca. During the rides I took in 

 the island I had good opportunities of seeing the arable 

 land, and I was much impressed with the produce ob- 

 tainable from the soil at a slight expenditure of labour. 

 The deep soil is loosened by a rude plough, drawn by a 

 single buffalo. This is done in the dry season, and seed 

 sowing and planting commence with the rainy weather. 

 I saw coffee bushes growing apparently wild around the 

 little farm-houses on the cool hill-sides, especially on 

 Bu'at Dahau, which I ascended a few days after our return 

 fromBu'at Timantangis, and every leaf was fresh and green 

 without a trace of the leaf fungus which of late years has 

 proved so hurtful in Ceylon. The cocoa-yielding Tlieo- 

 broma does equally well and fruits freely, forming indeed 

 what may be called the national beverage in Sulu. Ex- 

 cellent tobacco is grown here, and this, if skilfully pre- 

 pared, would furnish cigars equal to those of Manilla. 

 Cotton would do well, and the highest red land on the 

 mountains, rich as it is with ages of forest debris, might 

 be advantageously planted with coffee or other crops. 

 Rice, tapioca, tobacco, and sugar cane would do best on 

 the plains. An immense quantity of fruit is produced in 

 the island, especially mangoes and bananas. The frag- 

 rant durian is also plentiful, together with langsat, and 

 several other kinds. I noticed two distinct varieties of 



