S04 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [June 1, 1903. 
for mannfactnre into candle stuffs, soaps, waxes for 
matches, etc. These materials are likewise manu- 
factured in the Philippines. In addition to the oils 
secured from the coconut growths by the inhabi- 
tants of the Sulu Archipelago, there are a few oil 
wells in operation from which a limited quantity of 
illuminating oil is secured annually. If this oil 
product of the soil were properly developed there 
is no doubt that in a short while the wells should 
be as productive as the wells in Cebu. The Cebu 
wells promise success with improved apparatus. The 
Sula wella are worked entirely by the crude hand 
devices of the natives, and considerable time and 
energy are expected in obtaining a little of the oil. 
There are one or two oil springs in working order 
in the hills, from which the natives secure a little 
oil at times, but lack of proper refining devices 
prevents the general introduction of the industry. 
' The natives do not understand either the art 
of correct refining or how to put up the oils for 
the markets. They run it into coconut shells 
and it evaporates quickly. Then these] natives 
get fats, waxes, etc., from the various saps of 
trees, and by crushing in mortars or rolls some 
singular formations of minerals and herbs which 
are unknown, I believe, to the world of science. 
I show ed samplM of the mineral stuffs and sections 
of the sap-produSng trees, also specimens of certain 
oil-producing leaves and herbs, to experts here, who 
make a business of assaying for the miners, and 
who have studied oils and chemicals, and these 
assayists have informed me that these barks, minerals 
containing; oils, herbs and kindred products of the 
soil are new to them. 
All through Jolo, Zamboanago> Oottobatto, Parang' 
Gebne and other commercial and industrial centers 
in these portions of the new possessions of American 
in the Southern Pacific, I found evidences of pro- 
gress along the lines of oils as procured from the 
coconut, tree saps, juices crushed from plant-life and 
the like. 
Wherever one visits in the sections of the Sulu 
group he finds evidences tff the manufacture and 
»ale of oils froln the coconut and other tropical 
growths. The supplies at coconuts, barks, herbs, 
minerals and kindred products from which the 
natives get oils of some sort are brought into the 
central stations on the heads of men, women and 
children on pack animals, and sometimes on the 
crude carts of the natives. First, the native train 
from the interior has to pass through the garrisoned 
portion of the town, where the required passes are 
shown to the sentries of the United States military, 
and the natives then pass on to th>i market in the 
town or to'the manufactories. In the working up of 
the coconut into marketable form the fruit is first 
assorted by native women, as this is light work. 
The women crack each shell of the nut until it 
opens, exposing the white fruit within. Then the 
half shell is grasped in the hands and the interior 
rnit scraped by working the fruit over and over on 
the edge of a sharp stone, piece of wood or metal, 
properly set for this operation. The granulated white 
scrapings may be seen falling to the mat below. 
Then this prepared fruit is spread for drying in the 
sun on mats and copra results. Sometimes the 
stock is sweetened with native sugar. If oil is re- 
quired the stuff is pressed between rolls or in presses 
or pounded in hollowed stones or wood pieces, until 
the oil is gotten out. After the oil is removed the 
remaining stock is used for copra as well as when 
the oil is left in. 
The oil aud copra markets in this part of the. 
world are curious affairs. There are no sides to the 
building. There is a big nipa roof set up on poles, 
and under ihis roof equat the vendors in oils and 
the products of the coconut. Likewise the makers 
of oils from the coconut and the herbs and bark? 
of the country may be seen here operating their 
crad« coatrivanoea, There a.re natire police stationed 
about the market place to preserve order, and these 
fellows carry knives, spears or shotguns- 
There is not much money in the Sulu oil industry 
for the natives the w^y that the native manages 
things, as may be judged by the character of the 
houses occupied by these people. Their homes are 
mere shacks with one room, and the entire family 
lives here. The devices for making the oils is often 
in the same room. There are pigs and chickens 
about. Here the father and mother and grown 
children work several hours per day, turning out 
an oil or copra product that brings in only a few 
cents to them, but which is of considerable value in 
the foreign markets or even at Manila or Iloilo. The 
natives know only the local price. The men engaged 
in buying this oil, copra and fatty mixtures from 
the natives are the ones who turn the money, They 
buy very cheaply, and often by exchanging very in- 
ferior Spanish cloths, lamps, tinware, trinkets and the 
like for the products, I have seen 10-cent articles buy 
several dollars worth of good oil or copra from the 
natives. 
Oil of all descriptions is carried back and forth here 
in the Sulu land very much as it is conveyed in the 
islands further north. Bamboo tubes and tics of all 
kinds are used. Kerosene oil cans imported here, with 
Russian illumiuatiog oils, are popular for native oil 
conveying, these cans being balanced one at each end 
of a pole placed upon the shoulder of a native. The 
native water craft carries oil and copra from the point 
of production up north to the stations, where the 
r-.iddlemen buy it for exporting to other countries. 
The prices on the oil begin to jump at this stage. 
In all of these towns and hamlets one may see natives 
trotting in and about the shacks with the inevitable 
bundle of coconuts attached to poles thrown on the 
shoulder or tied up, bunch fashion, and carried on 
the head. 
Some of the oils and fats obtained from the coco- 
nut or the. gums of native trees or minerals are pro- 
cured in very odd ways, i saw native men, women 
and boys with blowpipes blowing drafts of air into 
masses of flame in process of burning under pans or 
flat stones, on which fats were being treated for the 
purpose of obtaining the oils. There are certain herbs 
which the natives get in the jungle which are pressed 
for the juices, and these juices have to be fried, as it 
were, before the oily substances are in proper order 
for extraction. Because of these very strange customs 
of getting oils from products the oil industry of Sulu 
is interesting and amusing. Millions of ants and 
kindred pesta infest the oil devices, the oils and the 
surroundings, and whether the oils are for burning, 
illuminating, eating or what not, the ants that get in 
the way are crushed in with the material and become 
part of the oil. Oil cakes for purposes of eating are 
known to contain much insect matter, but this does 
not affect the sale of the greasy stuff. 
A few Americans (usually discharged soldiers), some 
British and quite a number of Chinese are undertaking 
to engage in the oil business here. These parties go 
at it on a better scale than that of the natives. 
At one place the men had erected a substantial sawed- 
Inmber building, and fitted it up with a few crude de- 
vices for crushing and refining purposes. Some tanks 
were used. Acids were in use for purifying .purposes, 
but nearly all of the work is done by native help. I 
happend to arrive at one of these places on a pay 
day. The natives were receiving from one to two 
dollars gold each person for the week's work. This 
money they immediately proceeded to gamble with 
until "tkey lost practically, all. I am inclined to believe 
that some day there will be oil mills of modern design 
in this part of the new Qnited States territory, and 
thxt these will be run by Americans, who will find an 
exceedingly rich growth of never ending products, of 
coconuts, herbs, tree gums, etc, from which to make 
oil with very inexpensive native laboni'. This oil can 
be exported at profitable prices.— Faint and Drug 
Eeporttr, 
