52 
COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 
as mixed a people as any in the Philippines. Centuries 
of piracy have recruited their harems with the women of 
numberless tribes of Malaysia—with Europeans even, for 
before the days of steamers few vessels were a match for 
the crowded praus of the Sulu pirates. In the south of 
Mindanao the Illanuns had their headquarters, while the 
Sulus make Sulu Island and Tawi-tawi the base of their 
operations. The sultans of Sulu claimed authority over 
the north-east end of Borneo, together with the island of 
Cagayan Sulu, as well as over their own group, but the 
former district was ceded some few years ago to the 
British North Borneo Company, and the rule of the 
sultans over their turbulent subjects does not ever appear 
to have been very strong. Such obedience as the Sulu 
nature is capable of rendering is paid to the small rajas, 
panglimas and datus, many of whom are not on the best 
of terms with their sovereign. These rajas are in many 
cases of Bornean extraction, and the sultan has a species 
of court with numerous retainers after the fashion of the 
Sultan of Brunei. The Sulu language is closely allied to 
the Bisayan, although quite distinct from it, and contain¬ 
ing a large number of Javanese and Bugis words, but 
from the frequent intercourse with the Bornean Malays 
almost every Sulu is bilingual. The language is written 
in the Arabic character, and the manners and customs 
are Malay, but their adherence to the precepts of the 
Koran is anything but strict, as is shown by their in¬ 
dulgence in alcohol, and by the fact that their women 
are unveiled. 
The Chinese form a very important part of the popu¬ 
lation of the Philippines, amassing considerable wealth 
as merchants and shopkeepers. It is probable that they 
established themselves in the country from the very 
earliest times, and would long ago have overrun the 
