IV.] HISTORY OF THE ARCHIPELAGO. 81 



little else but an account of the constant civil wars which have 

 raged on the island, and the almost equally constant struggle with the 

 hated " Castillans," who, almost from the very date of their seizure 

 of the Philippines, sought to establish their power in Sulu, Three 

 centuries have passed away since that time, and it cannot be said 

 even now that they have advanced much l)eyond " suzerainty " in 

 the English latter-day acceptation of the term. "Wearied of con- 

 stant feuds, the Spaniards directed large expeditions against the 

 island in 1628 and 1637, but their efforts were fruitless, and in 

 1646 they concluded a treaty by which, under certain conditions, 

 they agreed to evacuate the main island and retire to Tapul, Siassi, 

 and Pangiitarang. In reality they were making a virtue of 

 necessity, for at this period they were in constant dread lest their 

 enemies should call in the Dutch to their assistance. The treaty 

 was hardly concluded ere it was broken, but it was not until many 

 years later that any decisive steps were again taken for the con- 

 quest of the islands. In 1731 a fleet of thirty Spanish vessels 

 attacked Sugh, anticipating an easy victory, but so well did the 

 Sulus fight that they succeeded in capturing their enemies' colours, 

 and the fleet shortly afterwards sailed away. A few years later 

 the Spaniards were again established upon the island with a 

 garrison of 100 men, and made renewed but fruitless attempts to 

 subdue this warlike and untamable race. 



In our own time, as may be gathered from the foregoing pages, 

 matters have been little, if at all, more settled. In 1871 an attack in 

 force was once more directed against the chief island, and fourteen 

 gun-boats and other vessels bombarded and destroyed the large 

 native town where Jolo now stands, and afterwards burnt some 

 villages on the coast. A blockade was established, and the 

 Spaniards commenced building Jolo and its fortifications. In 

 February, 1876, their flag was hoisted. It floats at only three other 

 settlements in the archipelago — Siassi and Tataan, to which I have 

 already alluded, and Ysabela in the island of Basilan. 



By the Agreement concluded March 7th, 1885, between England, 

 VOL. II. G 



