52 COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 



as mixed a people as any in the Philippines. Centuries 

 of piracy have recruited their harems with the women of 

 numberless tribes of Malaysia — with Europeans even, for 

 before the days of steamers few vessels were a match for 

 the crowded praus of the Sulu pirates. In the south of 

 Mindanao the Illanuns had their headquarters, while the 

 Sulus make Sulu Island and Tawi-tawi the base of their 

 operations. The sultans of Sulu claimed authority over 

 the north-east end of Borneo, together with the island of 

 Cagayan Sulu, as well as over their own group, but the 

 former district was ceded some few years ago to the 

 British North Borneo Company, and the rule of the 

 sultans over their turbulent subjects does not ever appear 

 to have been very strong. Such obedience as the Sulu 

 nature is capable of rendering is paid to the small rajas, 

 panglimas and datus, many of whom are not on the best 

 of terms with tbeir sovereign. These rajas are in many 

 cases of Bornean extraction, and the sultan has a species 

 of court with numerous retainers after the fashion of the 

 Sultan of Brunei. The Sulu language is closely allied to 

 the Bisayan, although quite distinct from it, and contain- 

 ing a large number of Javanese and Bugis words, but 

 from the frequent intercourse with the Bornean Malays 

 almost every Sulu is bilingual. The language is written 

 in the Arabic character, and the manners and customs 

 are Malay, but their adherence to the precepts of the 

 Koran is anything but strict, as is shown by their in- 

 dulgence in alcohol, and by the fact that their women 

 are unveiled. 



The Chinese form a very important part of the popu- 

 lation of the Philippines, amassing considerable wealth 

 as merchants and shopkeepers. It is probable that they 

 established themselves in the country from the very 

 earliest times, and would long ago have overrun the 



