370 SOOLoo. 



Manilla in small articles, and I found one of our countrymen engaged 

 in this traffic, under the Spanish flag. To him I am indebted for 

 much information that his opportunities of observation had given him. 



The materials for the history of Sooloo are meagre, and great doubt 

 seems to exist in some periods of it. That which I have been able to 

 gather is as follows. 



The island of Sooloo is generally believed to have been originally 

 inhabited by Papuans, some of whom, as I have already stated, are 

 still supposed to inhabit the mountainous part. The first intercourse 

 had with them was by the Chinese, who went there in search of 

 pearls. The Orang Dampuwans were the first of the Malays to 

 form settlements on the islands ; but after building towns, and making 

 other improvements, they abandoned the islands, in consequence, it 

 is said, of the inhabitants being a perfidious race, having previously 

 to their departure destroyed as many of the natives as they could. 



The fame of the submarine riches of this archipelago reached 

 Banjar, or Borneo, the people of which were induced to resort there, 

 and finding it to equal their expectation, they sent a large colony, and 

 made endeavours to win over the inhabitants, and obtain thereby the 

 possession of their rich isle. In order to confirm the alliance, a female 

 of Banjarmassing, of great beaiity, was sent, and married to the prin- 

 cipal chief; and from this alliance the sovereigns of Sooloo claim their 

 descent. The treaty of marriage made Sooloo tributary to the Ban- 

 jarmassing empire. 



After the Banjars had thus obtained possession of the archipelago, 

 the trade in its products attracted settlers from the surrounding 

 islands, who soon contrived to displace,, the aborigines, and drive 

 them to the inaccessible mountains for protection. 



When the Chinese took possession of the northern parts of Borneo, 

 under the Emperor Songtiping", about the year 1375, the daughter of 

 that prince was married to a celebrated Arabian chief named Sherif 

 Alii, who visited the shores of Borneo in quest of commerce. The 

 descendants of this marriage extended their conquests not only over 

 the Sooloo Archipelago, but over the whole of the Philippines, and 

 rendered the former tributary to Borneo. In three reigns after this 

 event, the sultan of Borneo proper married the daughter of a Sooloo 

 chief, and from this union came Mirhome Bongsu, who succeeding 

 to the throne while yet a minor, his uncle acted as regent. Sooloo 

 now wished to throw off the yoke of Borneo, and through the in- 

 trigues of the regent succeeded in doing so, as well as in retaining 



