372 S O O L O O. 



tants fled from the scourge. Among these was the heir apparent, 

 during whose absence the throne became vacant, and another was 

 elected in his stead. This produced contention for a short time, 

 which ended in the elected maintaining his place. 



This tribute continued to be paid until the flight of Amir to 

 Basillan, about the year 1752, where he entered into a secret corre- 

 spondence with the authorities at Samboangan, and after two years a 

 vessel was sent from Manilla, which carried him to that capital, 

 where he was treated as a prisoner of state. 



In June, 1759, an English ship, on board of which was Dalrymple, 

 then in the service of the East India Company, arrived at Sooloo on 

 a trading voyage. Dalrymple remained at Sooloo for three months, 

 engaged in making sales and purchases. The Sultan Bantilan 

 treated him with great kindness, and sought the interest of Dal- 

 rymple to obtain the liberation of his brother, who was now held 

 prisoner by the Spaniards at Manilla, by telling him of the distress 

 of his brother's wife, who had been left behind when Amir cpiitted 

 the island, and had been delivered of twins, after he had been kid- 

 napped by the Spaniards. Dalrymple entered into a pledge to restore 

 Amir, and at the same time effected a commercial treaty between the 

 East India Company and the Sooloo chiefs. By this it was stipu- 

 lated that an annual cargo should be sent to Sooloo, and sold at one 

 hundred per cent, profit, for which a return cargo should be provided 

 for the China market, which should realize an equal profit there, after 

 deducting all expenses. The overplus, if any, was to be carried to 

 the credit of the Sooloos. This appears to have been the first attempt 

 made by the English to secure a regular commercial intercourse with 

 this archipelago. 



In the year 1760, a large fleet of Spanish vessels sailed from 

 Manilla, with about two thousand men, having the Sultan Amir on 

 board, to carry on a war against Sooloo. 



On their arrival, they began active operations. They were repelled 

 on all sides, and after seven days' ineffectual attempts, they gave up 

 their design. They returned to Manilla, it is said, with a loss of half 

 their number, and without having done any injury to the Sooloos. 

 Not discouraged with this failure, the Spaniards, about two years 

 after, organized a still larger force, which is estimated by some 

 accounts as high as ten thousand men. Although this failed in its 

 attempts on the fort at Soung, the Spaniards obtained possession of 

 Tanjong Matonda, one of the small ports on the island, where they 



