The Sooloo Archipelago. 13$ 



and sirih, delights in labial and guttural consonants^ 

 eschewing dental sounds to a great extent. 



It is notable that the Sooloo people have 

 preserved the tradition of Sarah and Abraham, as 

 recorded on pp. 32, 33. 



The commerce of the group of Sooloo Islands 

 is carried on through the medium of Chinese traders 

 who exchange Manchester goods, opium, tobacco 

 and other articles for Pearls and Pearl-shell, sharks' 

 fins, beche-de-mer and native-manufactured cordage. 

 Of these articles Pearl-shell forms by far the largest 

 proportion of the trade, and is sold in London as 

 " Manila " shell. 



Pearls also find their way out of the country, 

 but to a great extent by stealthy as it is as much 

 as a man's head is worth to sell any Pearl over 

 a certain size, these being the Sultan's perquisites. 

 The Pearls from Sooloo have ever been renowned 

 as being the finest in the world, and may be said 

 to be found in very '4iigh bred" shells, in deep, 

 clear and rapid tide -ways. 



When the father of the present Sultan died 

 in 1879, he left a box full of Pearls of large size 

 and fine quality. At his death the contents of 

 this box met with foul play ; a portion of these 



