80OLOO ABCHIPKLAOa 



00 ARCHIPELAGO. 



_ considerable Ivratioa. Born* of them are covered to the 

 wrr rommiu with lofty Urw, and othcn with rich patturage, here 

 ad tLr ioteratetod by cultivated grounds, whilit other* again 

 exhibit cultivation to th highest point, diversified only by grove* of 

 ftalttTM*. Along the foot of the hill* there are level ground* two or 

 three mile*) wide, which are partly iwampj, but mottly oultirated or 

 plaatod with fruit-tree*. 



The wet reuon hut* from May to September, during the prevalence 

 of the nmth-weetern moneooo, and the dry teaaon laaU from October 

 to April But ihowtn frequently occur during the dry aeaaon, and 

 the rain* of the other aeacon are much more interrupted and irregular 

 than in HindoiUn. The heat is considerable, but not oppressive, 

 being moetly tempered by the land and Ma breetm. In summer it 

 rari* between 76' and 87*. The thermometer however fall* to 75* 

 only early in the morning*. The interior mountainous districts have 

 a much lower temperature. 



The coil of the country is generally rich, and the crops are abundant, 

 of rice, of which eight specie* are cultivated, is not 

 for the consumption of the inhabitants, who are compara- 

 tively very numerous. Rice i* imported from the Philippine Island*, 

 and from the eastern coast of Borneo, which ia (or waa) subject to the 

 SulUn of Sooloo. Two kind* of yams, sweet potatoe*, and the Chinese 

 potato, tome wheat, pumpkins, cucumbers, radishes, &c. are grown. 

 Fruit i* extremely plentiful and of a delicious flavour; the chief kinds 

 are mangoes, orange*, mangustan, durian, jack, cbampaka, plantain*, 

 and a great number of other fruits unknown in Europe. Sago-tree* 

 are numerous. Pepper, formerly cultivated with success, is grown 

 only for home consumption. The cinnamon is particularly fine. The 

 cacao-tree grow* all over the island of Sooloo, and yield* the common 

 beverage of all clawes. Indigo, cotton, and tobacco are also grown. 

 The plant from which the Manila white rope is made and the gamuty 

 are plentiful, and also a specie* of hemp and flax, of which the 

 inhabitants manufacture their fishing-line*. Turmeric and ginger 

 grow to perfection. 



The forest* which cover a large portion of the surface of the islands 

 yield excellent timber, including teak, mahogany, ebony, &c. Many 

 of the useful tree* which grow in this archipelago are not yet known 

 to botanist*. The camphor bar us collected in these wood* is not 

 inferior to that of Sumatra, and sell* well in Japan and China. 

 Sapan-wood, red-wood, and various dyeing woods are exported to 

 Amoy in China. The sandal-wood and the clove and nutmeg-trees 

 are said to exist here, and the bread-fruit and laka trees are abundant. 



Buffaloes are not numerous ; but Sooloo black cattle abound, and 

 they are used a* beasts of burden, and even for the saddle. The 

 hone* are of good breed and hardy. Hogs are not rare, though the 

 inhabitants, being Mohammedans, do not eat them : they are con- 

 sumed by the Chinese. Wild hogs are abundant There are goats, 

 some with (potted skins, and some beautiful email antelopes. The 

 Sooloo Island* are the most eastern country in which the elephant is 

 found : it was introduced from Borneo. The swallow which makes 

 the edible bird's-neat is common in most of the islands. 



The seas are abundantly stocked with fish. The most important 

 productions of the s> a are the sea-slugs, which under the name of 

 tripang are sent to China, and the prawns and shrimps, which, after 

 being pounded in a mortar into a soft mag*, are an important article of 

 commerce all over the Indian Archipelago and the countries beyond 

 the Ganges, under the name of blachang. Sea-weed is exported to 

 China. In several places pearls are found, which also go to China. A 

 little gold baa been found. Common salt is not used, but a salt made 

 from burnt sea-weed is in general use. 



The Sooloo chain consists of three group*, those of Basilan on the 

 north-east, Sooloo in the middle, and Tawi-Tawi on the south-west. 

 The first-mentioned group i* composed of the large island of Basilan 

 and several smaller one*. Batilan is about 45 miles long, and the 

 average width may be 12 miles. Tbe centre is hilly, but the sea- 

 coaat low and woody. It i* very fertile, and send* much rice to 

 Sooloo. It export* birds' -ncnU, mother-of-pearl, tortoise-shell, and a 

 few pearls; cowries are abundant. The principal ports are Maloza on 

 the eouth-weet side and Oubawang on the north-east coast. 



The Sooloo group consist* of the larger island of that name and of 

 tereral small islands. Sooloo i*about 40 miles long and 10 miles wide 

 on an average. The surface present* two hilly tracta, separated by a 

 low and level plain. The population is variously estimated at 60,000 

 to 200,000. There are many small town* on the coast. The largest 

 is Sooloo, Soung, or Soog, near the western extremity of the island, 

 with a permanent population of 6800, among whom are 800 Chinese. 

 Tb inhabitants of the town of Sooloo are laid to be of Arabic descent. 

 The coast population is of Malayan race and Mohammedans; but in 

 the interior the mountains are inhabited by idolatrou* Dyaks. More 

 than half of the inhabitant* are always engaged in trading voyages 

 in the pearl and tripang fi.herie*, and the collecting of birds'-nests. 

 On the north coast U Bokol, with 8000 inhabitant*, and on the south 

 coast Pttrtmg, with 8000 inhabitant*. All the product* which have 

 been mentioned a* article* of export, are shipped from these towna. 

 The larger of the other island* belonging to thi* group are Pannu- 

 taran, Tap*l, and Siluui, or Siaui, lying north-west and west of 

 Sooloo. 



Tam-Tavn, is about 40 miles long and 12 milea wide. In the centre 



are some hill* of considerable elevation, and two lakes. One of the 

 lake*, called Dunyon, is united to the sea by a channel which is 

 from five to seven fathom* deep, but has a bar, on which there 

 are only a fathom and three quarter* at low-water, and about four 

 fathom* at spring-tides. The lake itself ia about eight fathoms deep 

 and is fresh at low- water. It i* on excellent harbour for vessels which 

 can pass the bar. The island is thinly inhabited. It exports tepoy, 

 tripang, biroV-neat", and many valuable pearl", but doe* not produce 

 rice enough for the consumption. The principal town is Duugon, on 

 the banks of the lake. The chain of small islands which extends 

 along the southern coast of Tawi-Tawi consists of low islets, with 

 numerous shoals between them. The channels that divide them are 

 from six to eight fathoms deep, extremely intricate, and so narrow 

 that the Chinese junk* in some places require to be pushed on with 

 poles. The most valuable pearl fishery is in these straits, which are 

 accessible at all seasons, and fish is very plentiful aud of largo size. 

 North of Tawi-Tawi is the TaJtaw Bank, which consists of coral rocks 

 covered with a layer of sand, aud is in some places overgrown with 

 shrubs and trees. It has no fresh water, but the pearl fishery is very 

 valuable. 



Between the north-eastern extremity of Borneo and the large island 

 of Palawan are several smaller islands, and the three islands of 

 Banquey, Balambangan, audBalabac, which are of some extent. They 

 are thinly inhabited, and overrun with jungle aud timber-trees. They 

 produce chiefly wax, tripaug, and tortoises. Balambaugan, together 

 with the north-eastern part of Borneo, was ceded to the British by 

 the sultan of Sooloo, and a settlement was established there in 1703. 

 Hut the British were expelled in 1773 by the Sooloos, who, finding 

 the garrison weak and sickly, and off their guard, murdered them and 

 set fire to the settlement. In 1803 the settlement was re-established, 

 but again abandoned in the following year, on account of the expense 

 of maintaining it. 



The large island of Palawan, or Paliran, is more than 275 miles 

 long, and on an average 32 miles wide. A continuous range of hills 

 ruus along the west side of the island. But along the eastern shores 

 a low aud generally level country extends from 10 to 20 miles inland. 

 The northern portion of the island has beeu long subject to the 

 Spaniards, and is called Parayua. It forms a part of the province of 

 Calamianes, one of the political divisions of the Philippines. The 

 low country south of 10 20' N. lat. is tolerably well peopled, and 

 subject to the sultan of Sooloo, but the hilly and mountainous region 

 is in possession of the aboriginal inhabitants, who resemble the Papuas, 

 and are continually at war with the inhabitants of the plains. The 

 productions of the low lands aud the adjacent seas are canes, cowries, 

 wax, tortoises, tripang, and gum copal. Kice is also exported. The 

 principal town is Babuyan, which is fortified, and has a population of 

 about 2000. 



The islands north of Palawan, namely, Liiiacapan, the Colatuiones, 

 and Coron, form politically a portion of the Philippines. Besides the 

 islands hitherto noticed, the sway of the sultan of Sooloo extended 

 until recently over a large portion of the north-eaatern part of Borneo, 

 as far south as Kaniuugon Point at the entrance of Macassar Strait, 

 and over more than a million and a half of people. [BORNEO. 1 Each 

 Sooloo chief is sovereign in the country which belongs to him, and 

 his authority depends on the number of his followers, or rather 

 slaves, called ambas, who ore hi* soldiers. The sultan was aided by 

 a privy council called ' liuma Bechara,' the members of which were 

 styled Datu. He derived all his revenues from his own estates, as 

 no taxes arc paid by the noblemen or their subjects, aud the only 

 revenue, consisting of the customs on goods imported, is shared 

 between the king and his council. The petty chiefs of the more 

 remote islands and those on the coast of Borneo, acknowledged the 

 authority of the sultan, in order that they might be protected from 

 the piracy of his subjects, or share the advantages arising from such 

 predatory expeditions. 



The fleets of piratical junks and prahua, or prowa, belonging to 

 the Sooloo sultan and his barbarous dependent chiefs, were for 

 centuries the terror of the neighbouring seas. The Spaniards ever 

 since the occupation of the Philippines in 1566, have been at war with 

 these people. In 1646 they seized the island of Sooloo (which has 

 been always the central nest of the atrocious gong), and gave it up 

 to the sultan on condition of his paying tribute, but reserving the 

 sovereignty aud protectorship to her Catholic majesty. The atrocities 

 recently committed on the inhabitants of the Philippines, induced the 

 Marquis de Solatia, governor of the Philippines, to proceed to the 

 capital of Sooloo iu December 1850 to demand redress. Instead of 

 listening to his friendly warnings, the sultan ordered the batteries of 

 the forts to fire upon the Spanish vessels, which formed the governor's 

 escort. The Spaniards withdrew, collected a force at Zamboangan, 

 iu the island of Mindanao, and on the 28th of February, 1851, the 

 governor-general opened firo with a small squadron on the forts and 

 butteries of the town, while 3500 men, with 20 field pieces, were 

 landed from transports to attack the place. After a desperate resist- 

 ance the forts, which were defended by double rows of stockades 

 filled between with coral reef, were taken and burnt The Spaniards 

 took out of these forts 143 pieces of artillery of English manufacture, 

 which these piratical hordes had got from the English settlement, 

 which they murdered in 1773. This important victory has completely 



