520 
ESSAY TOWARDS AN ACCOUNT OF SULU, 
distance, on every side. It is very well inhabited, by slaves and 
vassals of the Sultan, Oranhy Mallick, &c. The chief town, 
named Maglocob , is situated on the east side, a little in from the 
shore, though there are some houses near the beach. There are 
several white coral and sand banks off this part of the island, with 
small channels through them, which, at high water, admit large 
boats into the shallow lagunes, formed by these banks and the 
shore, which are secure from all weather. The island is an entire 
bed of coral-rock, with scarce any appearance of soil upon it, and 
every where so shallow, that the people who die here are removed 
to some of the other islands to be interred. However, although 
there be so little soil, there are plenty of fine timber trees, which 
are in general very lofty, and have many doves and other birds on 
them. The island abounds with eocoanut trees, which are very 
tall and fruitful, this is an infinite benefit to the inhabitants, as the 
island is destitute of good fresh water: In the dry season it is 
very salt, and is not to be drank by any but themselves, though 
they, it is pretented, like it better than other water ; but, in the 
rainy reason it is only blackish. Notwithstanding this deficiency 
of water, and want of soil, this island has plenty of cattle, which, 
though small, are very fat j they have also many fine goats, and 
plenty of fowls. The chief person of Maglocob’s house was built, 
according to the eastern stile, on posts, but for this purpose, instead 
of sinking them in the ground, which the nature of the country 
rendered difficult and unstable, he had made choice of a spot, 
where four trees grew at the distance required, and, having lopped 
off their heads, upon them his palace was built, and perhaps some¬ 
thing of this kind may have given rise to the reports of people 
living in trees. 
A little to the southward of Maglocob is Bayt-bayt, consisting 
only of two or three houses, the most remarkable thing here, is a 
eocoanut growing within a large tree, the trunk being entirely 
concealed, ’till the branches of the tree spread, 
Ubeean is the largest of the islands, on the south side of the 
Strait, which divides them from P angutaran; it is reported to be 
divided by several creeks, and about the middle has one tree, dis- 
tinguishably higher than the rest. 
TeeJml is the highest of these islands, but is without any hill; 
it is small and almost round; the east end is lowest. 
Usadcla is also low and woody; the trees are highest in the 
middle, both ends being lower, and looking, at a distance, like 
other islands behind it $ the eastside, particularly, is very smooth 
and low. 
Kumelaan and Bas-bas, are both low woody isles. 
Maleepotbas is also low and woody, it has shoals all round, 
which extend above two miles to the N. westward. 
P andukan, which is low and woody, is inhabited, and is reported 
to have a salt-water lake in the interior part: Off the south points 
