60 THE SULU ISLANDS. [chap. 



jungle-covered hills to the westward. Captam Schiick had been 

 settled there for four years, and after a short period of squabbles 

 and fights with the natives, in wliich on more than one occasion 

 he narrowly escaped with his life, he had at length succeeded in 

 establishing a footing, and had made himself respected and looked 

 up to by the people in no common degi^ee. Two years later his 

 wife and family — eight in number, and all under seventeen — had 

 joined him. His history had been one of many vicissitudes. At 

 one time a trader, he had visited most parts of the ]\Ialay Archi- 

 pelago, and had been shipwrecked, captured by pirates — both 

 Chinese and Sulu — and exposed to many other mischances. Coming 

 to Sulu and espousing the cause of the natives against the Spaniards, 

 he took to " gun-running," had his vessel confiscated, and was hun- 

 self taken as prisoner to IManila. The German Government took 

 up his case ; the Spaniards were compelled to release him, and 

 he was ultimately fortunate enough to obtain £1000 as compensa- 

 tion. Such is the respect in which he is held by the Sulus that 

 during Ms absence his family live unharmed among them, in 

 spite of their lawless nature and the many factions into which 

 they are split. In great measure this is no doubt owing to his up- 

 right and fearless conduct, and to his ha\'ing taken his own line 

 boldly. As an instance I may quote the following case. Two 

 women working on his estate having been murdered by a couple 

 of their- fellow-countr}'men, he called a meeting of the chiefs, and 

 obtaining their consent, rode over to the house of one of the 

 murderers, secured him, and shot him with his own hand. For 

 the other he searched every prau on the coast, and having at length 

 found him, brought him to the chiefs, by whom he was immediately 

 krissed. 



Captain Schiick's son, a merry boy of seventeen, we found not 

 only a most useful, but an extremely agTeeable companion. He 

 accompanied us everywhere, and with his knowledge of the people 

 and their habits, and his extraordinary command of languages, was 

 of the ga^eatest assistance to us. He spoke German, English, 



