304 
COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 
Salibabu group, peopled by a timid, inoffensive race of 
semi-pagans, with a language closely allied to Sangirese. 
They live in large communal houses like the Dyaks of 
Borneo, practise circumcision, and are little acquainted 
with the metals, their weapons even being made of wood. 
At the time of Dr. Hickson’s visit they were suffering 
from some form of malaria, which, aided by total neglect 
of sanitary laws, had then killed 3000 out of the 9000 
inhabitants. The largest island in the group is 35 miles 
in length. 
Due east of Celebes, beyond Peling Island, is the 
Sulla or Xulla group, consisting of two large islands, 
Xulla Tarlabu and Xulla Manggala, stretching in an east 
and west direction for about 100 miles, divided only by 
a narrow strait about the centre, with a smaller island, 
Xulla Basi, to the south. The western island is scantily 
inhabited by a race allied to those of the eastern penin¬ 
sula of Celebes and the island of Bangaai; the others 
appear to have no indigenes, but to be colonised by the 
Malays from Ternate with their Papuan slaves, which 
has given rise to the report that these islands were 
inhabited by a people of Papuan race. Xulla Basi is 
much the most important island. It is about 26 miles 
long, is well cultivated, and produces much wax and 
honey. At Sanana Bay is a Dutch resident official, and 
a small fort has been built. Coal of an inferior quality 
is found on the island. The whole group is nominally 
subject to Ternate, but both geographically and zoologi¬ 
cally the islands belong to Celebes. They are inhabited 
by babirusas and deer, while their birds, which are toler¬ 
ably well known, resemble those of Celebes much more 
closely than those of the Moluccas. The Peling and 
Togian groups are inhabited by tripang and turtle fisher¬ 
men, and very little is known of them. 
