50 THE SULU ISLANDS. [chap. 



succeed in catching the author of these " sea fireworks," as our 

 sailors called them, and during our six weeks' stay in these waters 

 we never noticed the phenomenon again. 



There are several wells within the town of Jolo, but the water 

 is not particularly good, and the best is obtained from a spring on 

 the beach about three-quarters of a mile to the eastward. Its 

 situation is a curious one, the water bubbling up in a strong 

 stream between high and low water mark^ into a sort of rocky 

 basin, overhung by the gnarled branches of a large Ficus, which 

 must be of gi-eat age. The Governor had cautioned us as to the 

 character of the natives in the neighbourhood, and told us that 

 several of their men had been krissed or speared while watering, 

 which operation was as a rule undertaken with a strong guard. 

 Apparently, however, the relations between the contending parties 

 are of the politest character, for he added that he would send a 

 message to the chief, informing him that we were English, and 

 asking him not to molest us. Either this or the northern fairness 

 of our skins was sufficient, and we landed to shoot and get water 

 for the ship on several occasions without any contretemps. A little 

 incident nevertheless took place on our first visit which showed us 

 that the Governor's caution was not unnecessary. One of us, 

 noticing a rare bird alight in a tree close by, jumped hastily out 

 of the boat and went tow^ards it. Several natives were standing 

 round, and apparently knew who we were, but another suddenly 

 appearing on the scene, and probably mistaking us for Spaniards, 

 marked his man, and feeling for his parang, went on the track of 

 the unsuspecting sportsman. Before he had gone two steps he was 

 stopped by the others, but, had he only been a little nearer, the 

 number of our ship's company would probably have been reduced 

 by one. 



Our stay at Jolo was varied by excursions into the interior of 



^ This, though a curious, is not a very unusual phenomenon. Such a spring 

 exists at Walvisch Bay in South-West Africa, and I have also seen them in Sunibawa 

 and other places in the Malay Archipelago. 



