334 



Dress of the women. 

 Occupations. 



SOOLOO. 



Government of the Sooloo 

 Archipelago. 



China. 1 should judge from the appearance of 

 their persons, that they ought to be termed, so far 

 as ablutions go, a cleanly people. Their is no out- 

 ward respect or obeisance shown by the slave to 

 his master, nor is the presence of the datu, or 

 even of the sultan himself, held in any awe. All 

 appear upon an equality, and there does not seem 

 to be any controlling power; yet it may be at once 

 perceived that they are suspicious and jealous of 

 strangers. 



The Sooloos, although they are ready to do any 

 thing for the sake of plunder, even to the taking of 

 life, yet are not disposed to hoard their ill-gotten 

 wealth, and, with all their faults, cannot be termed 

 avaricious. 



They have but few qualities to redeem their 

 treachery, cruelty, and revengeful dispositions ; 

 and one of the principal causes of their being so 

 predominant, or even of their existence, is their 

 inordinate lust for power. When they possess this, 

 it is accompanied by a haughty, consequential, and 

 ostentatious bravery. No greater affront can be 

 offered to a Sooloo, than to underrate his dignity 

 and official consequence. Such an insult is seldom 

 forgiven, and never forgotten. From one who has 

 made numerous voyages to these islands, I have 

 obtained many of the above facts, and my own 

 observation assures me that this view of their 

 character is a correct one. I would, however, add 

 another trait, which is common among them, and 

 that is cowardice, which is obvious, in spite of 

 their boasted prowess and daring. This trait of 

 character is universally ascribed to them among 

 the Spaniards in the Philippines, who ought to be 

 well acquainted with them. 



The dress of the women is not unlike that of the 

 men in appearance. They wear close jackets of 

 various colours when they go abroad, and the same 

 loose breeches as the men, but over them they 

 usually have a large wrapper (sarong), not unlike 

 the pareu of the Polynesian islanders, which is put 

 round them like a petticoat, or thrown over the 

 shoulders. Their hair is drawn to the back of the 

 head, and around the forehead it is shaven in the 

 form of a regular arch, to correspond with the 

 eyebrows. Those that I saw at the sultan's were 

 like the Malays, and had light complexions, with 

 very black teeth. The datu thought them very 

 handsome, and on our return he asked me if I had 

 seen the sultan's beauties. The females of Sooloo 

 have the reputation of ruling their lords, and 

 possess much weight in the government by the 

 influence they exert over their husbands. 



It may be owing to this that there is little jea- 

 lousy of their wives, who are said to hold their 

 virtues in no very great estimation. In their 

 houses they are but scantily clothed, though women 

 of rank have always a large number of rings on 

 their fingers, some of which are of great value, as 

 well as ear-rings of fine gold. They wear no stock- 

 ings, but have on Chinese slippers, or Spanish 

 shoes. They are as capable of governing as their 

 husbands, and in many cases more so, as they 

 associate with the slaves, from whom they obtain 

 some knowledge of Christendom, and of the habits 

 and customs of other nations, which they study to 

 imitate in every way. 



The mode in which the Sooloos employ their 

 time may be exemplified by giving that of the datu; 

 for all, whether free or slave, endeavour to imitate 



the higher rank as far as is in their power. The 

 datus seldom rise before eleven o'clock, unless 

 they have some particular business ; and the datu 

 mulu complained of being sleepy in consequence of 

 the early hour at which we had disturbed him. 



On rising, they have chocolate served in gilt 

 glassware, with some light biscuit, and sweetmeats 

 imported from China or Manilla, of which they 

 informed me they laid in large supplies. They 

 then lounge about their houses, transacting a little 

 business, and playing at various games, or, in the 

 trading season, go to the meeting of the Ruma 

 Bechara. 



At sunset they take their principal meal, con- 

 sisting of stews of fish, poultry, beef, eggs, and 

 rice, prepared somewhat after the Chinese and 

 Spanish modes, mixed up with that of the Malay. 

 Although Moslems, they do not forego the use of 

 wine, and some are said to indulge in it to a great 

 extent. After sunset, when the air has become 

 somewhat cooled by the refreshing breezes, they 

 sally forth attended by their retainers to take a 

 walk, or proceed to the bazaars to purchase goods, 

 or to sell or to barter away their articles of pro- 

 duce. They then pay vists to their friends, when 

 they are in the habit of having frequent convivial 

 parties, talking over their bargains, smoking cigars, 

 drinking wine and liqueurs, tea, coffee, and choco- 

 late, and indulging in their favourite pipe of opium. 

 At times they are entertained with music, both 

 vocal and instrumental, by their dependants. Of this 

 art they appear to be very fond, and there are 

 many musical instruments among them. A datu, 

 indeed, would be looked upon as uneducated if he 

 could not play on some instrument. 



It is considered polite that when refreshments 

 are handed they should be partaken of. Those 

 offered us by the datu were such as are usual, but 

 every thing was stale. Of fruit they are said to be 

 very fond, and can afford to indulge themselves in 

 any kinds. With all these articles to cloy the 

 appetite, only one set meal a day is taken ; though 

 the poorer classes, fishermen and labourers, partake 

 of two. 



The government of the Sooloo Archipelago is a 

 kind of oligarchy, and the supreme authority is 

 vested in the sultan and the Ruma Bechara or 

 trading council. This consists of about twenty 

 chiefs, either datus, or their next in rank, called 

 orangs, who are governors of towns or detached 

 provinces. The influence of the individual chiefs 

 depends chiefly upon the number of their retainers 

 or slaves, and the force they can bring into their 

 service when they require it. These are purchased 

 from the pirates, who bring them to Sooloo and its 

 dependencies for sale. The slaves are employed 

 in a variety of ways, as in trading prahus, in the 

 pearl and biche-de-mar fisheries, and in the search 

 after the edible birds'-nests. 



A few are engaged in agriculture, and those who 

 are at all educated are employed as clerks. These 

 slaves are not denied the right of holding property, 

 which they enjoy during their lives, but at their 

 death it reverts to the master. Some of them are 

 quite rich, and what may appear strange, the 

 slaves of Sooloo are invariably better off than the 

 untitled freemen, who are at all times the prey of 

 the hereditary datus, even of those who hold no 

 official stations. By all accounts these constitute 

 a large proportion of the population, and it being 



