sooloo. 371 



possession of the eastern side of Borneo, from Maludu Bay on the 

 north to Tulusyan on the south, which has ever since been a part of 

 the Sooloo territory. 



This event took place before Islamism became the prevailing reli- 

 gion ; but which form of idolatry, the Sooloos pretend, is not now 

 known. It is, however, believed the people on the coasts were 

 Budhists, while those of the interior were Pagans. 



The first sultan of Sooloo was Kamaludin, and during his reign 

 one Sayed Alii, a merchant, arrived at Sooloo from Mecca. He was 

 a sherif, and soon converted one-half of the islanders to his own faith. 

 He was elected sultan on the death of Kamaludin, and reigned seven 

 years, in the course of which he became celebrated throughout the 

 archipelago. Dying at Sooloo, a tomb was erected to him there, and 

 the island came to be looked upon by the faithful as the Mecca of the 

 East, and continued to be resorted to as a pilgrimage until the arrival 

 of the Spaniards. 



Sayed Alii left a son called Batua, who succeeded him. The latter 

 had two sons, named Sabudin and Nasarudin, who, on the death of 

 their father, made war upon each other. Nasarudin, the youngest, 

 being defeated, sought refuge on Tawi Tawi, where he established 

 himself, and built a fort for his protection. The difficulties were 

 finally compromised, and they agreed to reign together over Sooloo. 

 Nasarudin had two sons, called Amir and Bantilan, of whom the 

 former was named as successor to the two brothers, and on their 

 deaths ascended the throne. During his reign another sherif arrived 

 from Mecca, who succeeded in converting the remainder of the popu- 

 lation to Islamism. Bantilan and his brother Amir finally quarrelled, 

 and the latter was driven from Sooloo to seek refuge in the island of 

 Basillan, where he became sultan. 



On the arrival of the Spaniards in 1566, a kind of desultory war 

 was waged by them upon the various islands, in the hope of conquer- 

 ing them and extending their religion. In these wars they suc- 

 ceeded in gaining temporary possession of a part of- Sooloo, and de- 

 stroyed the tomb of Sayed Alii. The Spaniards always looked upon 

 the conversion of the Moslems to the true Catholic faith with great 

 interest; but in the year 1646, the sultan of Magindanao succeeded 

 in making peace, by the terms of which the Spaniards withdrew from 

 Sooloo, and were to receive from the sultan three cargoes of rice 

 annually as a tribute. 



In 160S, the small-pox made fearful ravages, and most of the inhabi- 



