;366 SO O LOO. 



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 edu- 

 cated 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 treason for any low-born freeman to injure or maltreat a datu, 

 the latter, who are of a haughty, overbearing, and tyrannical dispo- 

 sition, seldom keep themselves within bounds in their treatment of 

 their inferiors. The consequence is, the lower class of freemen are 

 obliged to put themselves under the protection of some particular 

 datu, which guards them from the encroachment of others. The 

 chief to whom they thus attach themselves, is induced to treat them 

 well, in order to retain their services, and attach them to his person, 

 that he may, in case of need, be enabled to defend himself from 

 depredations, and the violence of his neighbours. 



Such is the absence of legal restraint, that all find it necessary to go 

 abroad armed, and accompanied by a trusty set of followers, who are 

 also armed. This is the case both by day and night, and, according 

 to the Datu's account, frequent affrays take place in the open streets, 

 which not unfrequently end in bloodshed. 



Caution is never laid aside, the only law that exists being that of 

 force ; but the weak contrive to balance the power of the strong by 

 uniting. They have not only contentions and strife among them- 

 selves, but it was stated at Manilla that the mountaineers of Sooloo, 

 who are said to be Christians, occasionally make inroads upon them. 

 At Sooloo, however, it did not appear that they were under much ap- 

 prehension of these attacks. The only fear I heard expressed was by 

 the Sultan, in my interview with him; and the cause of this, as I 

 have already stated, was probably a desire to find an excuse for not 

 affording us facilities to go into the interior. Within twenty years, 

 however, the reigning sultan has been obliged to retire within his 

 forts, in the town of Sooloo, which I have before adverted to. 



