m.] SPANIARDS AND SULUS. 53 



Stagnation. He was doing his very utmost to conciliate the natives, 

 but his efforts had apparently been almost fruitless, for though he 

 might succeed for a time, fresh outrages and murders would soon 

 place the two parties on theu' old hostile footing. It is curious to 

 note how quickly the neighboming Philippine islanders submitted 

 to Spain's yoke, and how prosperous and contented they are at the 

 present day in spite of earthquakes, typhoons, and tidal waves. 

 But with the treacherous and fanatical Sulus, — possibly from their 

 religion, — little or no progi'ess has been made. During the war of 

 succession in 1881 — -for in Sulu the death of the Sultan is always 

 the occasion of a general outbreak — the natives came up to the 

 very walls of Jolo, and tried to carry it by assault, with the result 

 that a few Spaniards and a large number of their enemies were 

 killed and wounded. Affairs were quiet for a time, but the people 

 of Loc — with whom the Sultan, at the period of our visit, was 

 himself at war — ha^dng been constantly successful in lying in wait 

 for and spearing the Spanish just outside the walls of Jolo, an 

 expedition was organised at the end of 1882, and in the engage- 

 ment which took place about tliirty Sulus fell. Just previous to 

 this a Loc man, armed with his ijcirang, had succeeded in getting 

 into Jolo unperceived.^ AValkmg to the Plaza he drew his weapon, 

 and rushing upon the people began cutting down men, women, and 

 cliildren indiscriminately. Although almost every one goes armed 

 in the town, he was with some difficulty overpowered, and he 

 had killed no less than seventeen persons before he was finally 

 despatched ! Truly it can be said that even life in Jolo is not 

 without its excitements. 



On the 1st of May we found ourselves again at Meunbun, after 

 another day's pig-sticking with the Pangiima Dammang, m which 

 six pigs had bit the dust. As we rowed up the little stream we 

 noticed some of the natives busily engaged in repairing their large 

 praus, which were hauled up on the mud close to the market-place. 

 The Sulu boats are of two kinds only. The clapang, or smaller one 



^ The Sulus are allowed to enter the town, but are searched for arms at the gates. 



