THE PHILIPPINES--THE MORO COUNTRY.
The term Moro is used to describe the Mohammedan Filipino and
includes a number of tribes occupying the large island of Mindanao,
the smaller islands adjacent to it and those of the Sulu archipelago.
The northeast corner of Mindanao is separated from the island
of Leyte by the Surigao Strait, and that part of Mindanao has
considerable sprinkling of Christian Filipinos, but both that
island and the Sulus can be considered Moro country. The Americans
recognize the difference between the two groups of islands and
administer government according to different plans. Civil government
has been established in the northern islands, and except where
ladronism prevails, law and order reign. There are in some places,
as in northern Luzon, wild tribes in the mountains, but these are
so few in number and so different from the civilized Filipinos that
they do not enter into the solution of the Philippine problem.
In Mindanao, however, and the other Moro provinces warlike tribes
have been in control. They have furnished a large number of pirates
and have frequently invaded the northern island, carrying back
Filipino slaves. They never acknowledged the authority of Spain and
succeeded in keeping most of the island in the southern group free
from Spanish control. Our country probably exercises authority over
more Moro territory than Spain ever did, and yet our authority is
limited and we employ the military form of government rather than
the civil.
In our tour of the islands we crossed over the narrow part of
Mindanao, went up the Cotabato valley and called upon the Sultan of
Sulu at his home near Maibun on the island of Sulu.
We landed at Camp Overton, a military post on Iligan bay on the
north coast of Mindanao, and immediately began the ascent to Camp
Kiethley, eighteen miles in the interior. A military road has been
constructed between these two camps, following for the greater
part of the way the Spanish trail. Owing to the heavy rainfall and
the luxuriant growth of vegetation it is difficult to keep a road
in repair, and not far from the coast we passed a large number
of prisoners who were engaged in straightening and improving it.
About three miles from the coast we made a short detour in order
to see the famous Argus Falls, and they are well worth seeing. The
Argus river, which at this point is a larger stream, falls two
hundred and twenty feet and rushes by a tortuous route through the
narrow walls of a gorge. The falls are not only picturesque, but
they suggest the possibility of future use. It has been calculated
that one hundred thousand horse power is here going to waste. The
military authorities have been trying to secure an appropriation for
an electric railroad from Camp Overton to Camp Kiethley with the
intention of obtaining power from the falls, but this would utilize
only a small fraction of the energy which the Argus possesses. Two
miles farther up the road we turned aside to see the rapids of the
same river and here made our first acquaintance with the Moros. We
found a dozen of them under a rude shed of palm leaves preparing
the evening meal. The most conspicuous dish, at least the dish
that attracted our attention, was a skillet full of grasshoppers
being done to a neat brown over a slow fire. While we were watching
them, two half bare children returned from the chase with a large
supply of fresh grasshoppers strung upon grass. The Moros have a
most repulsive habit of dyeing the teeth black, the enamel being
first scraped off. Add to this the red tinge left on the lips by
chewing of the betel nut and the mouth is anything but beautiful.
The clothing of the Moros is scanty and of a cheap quality. The men,
when at work, often wear nothing but a breech cloth. When dressed up
they wear very tight fitting trousers of gay color; a tight fitting
waist and a turban completes their company dress. A garment much
worn by men and women is the sarong, which is a piece of cloth sewed
together like a roller towel and folded about the body. The men,
no matter what else they wear or fail to wear, have a scarf wound
around the waist in which they carry a knife, of which there are
several varieties, the bolo, the sarong and the kris being the most
popular. The Moros above mentioned consented to having a snapshot
taken, and their spokesman informed us in broken English that he
had visited the St. Louis Exposition. Captain McCoy, one of General
Wood's staff, who accompanied us as far as Zamboanga, explained to
us that a number of Moros were sent to St. Louis as an experiment
and that they had returned very much impressed with what they saw in
the United States.
As we proceeded on the road to Kiethley we passed the spot where a
sergeant was cut to pieces by the Moros three weeks before. While
all the Moros carry knives and are expert in their use, they set a
high estimate upon a gun, and the hapless traveler who carries one
of these envied weapons is apt to be waylaid, if alone, and lose his
life as a penalty for his rashness. With this incident fresh in his
memory, Col. Steever, of Camp Overton, furnished us with a mounted
guard. During the first part of the ride we passed through a forest
in which there were many large trees, some of them with fantastic
trunks, others festooned with vines and all surrounded by a thick
undergrowth which furnish an admirable cover for reptiles, beasts
or hostile natives. A boa-constrictor, thirty-six feet long, was
recently killed not far from the road on which we traveled.
I have referred to the killing of the sergeant and mentioned the
reason sometimes given. It is to be regretted that we occasionally
lose men for reasons that reflect upon us. Governor Devore, whose
jurisdiction extends over a part of Mindanao, officially reports the
killing of one soldier in a quarrel which grew out of an attempt by
the soldier to secure native wine without paying for it.
The latter part of the ride was through a series of small hills
covered with cogon grass. The soil looks like it might be very
fertile, and we passed one little ranch where an American had set
out some hemp plants, but there was little evidence of cultivation
along the line.
Camp Kiethley is about twenty-three hundred feet above the sea on
a hill which bears the same name, and commands a beautiful view
of the surrounding country. The ocean can be seen to the north,
and to the south a magnificent mountain lake stretches away for
twenty miles. A regiment under the command of Col. Williams is
stationed here, and this is considered one of the most healthful
situations in the Philippine Islands. The American officers insist
that Mindanao has a better climate than Luzon, and some of them are
enthusiastic about the possibility of drawing American settlers to
the island. General Wood has given much attention to the products
and climatic conditions, and has encouraged the coming of Americans
to Mindanao. Some two hundred of these have settled about Davao bay
in the southeastern part of the island and are cultivating hemp.
I found, however, that most of the members of the military circle
were counting the months intervening before the time of their return
to the States. The ride across Lake Lanao took us in sight of some
hostile country whose inhabitants still refuse to acknowledge
allegiance to the United States. Some of the cottas, or forts, from
which Moros have been driven within a few months were pointed out
to us. Governor Devore is building a model town on the shore of the
lake and hopes to convince the natives of the friendly intentions of
our country.
Camp Vickars is only a few miles south of the lake and near the
summit of the divide. The elevation here is twenty-nine hundred feet
and the site for the camp is well chosen. It is about twenty-two
miles from this point down to Malabang, the seaport on Llana bay,
and Captain Foster, who is in command at Camp Vickars, furnished
us with a mounted escort. The ride down to the sea was even more
enjoyable than the trip to Camp Kiethley, the road leading through
forests more dense and foliage more varied. The journey was
enlivened by the sight of a number of monkeys sporting in the trees
and by the discordant notes of the horn-bill. There is a waterfall
on the south side of the range also, nearly half way down the
summit, which, while it does not compare with the Argus Falls, could
be used for the development of several thousand horse power.
The camp at Malabang, now under command of Col. Varnum, has a
splendid water supply derived from several large springs, but
the harbor is so poor that the government is preparing to remove
the camp to Parang, about twenty miles south, where there is an
excellent harbor.
At Malabang we took our boat again, it having gone around the island
while we crossed over, and proceeded to Cotabata near the mouth
of the Rio Grande river. Acting Governor Boyd met us here with a
river steamer and took us to his headquarters about thirty-five
miles further up the river. We had a double purpose in making this
trip, first to see one of the most fertile valleys on the island;
and, second, to pay our respects to Datu Piang, a friendly Moro
of considerable influence among the natives. The Rio Grande is a
crooked stream, wending its way through the high grass, the monotony
being broken now and then by cocoanut groves, rice fields, mango
trees, banana plants and hemp. While there is no such systematic
cultivation here as in the northern islands, there is enough to show
the possibilities of the soil.
The moon was shining brightly when we approached Governor Boyd's
camp, and we were greeted by a salute of lantakas (small brass
cannon) so numerous that we lost all count. Datu Piang had inquired
of the governor how many guns should be fired and was told that as
I held no official position, he could use his own discretion as to
the number. In order that he might not err on the side of too few,
he fired between fifty and a hundred. We had scarcely disembarked
before he came in state to make an official call, seated on the roof
of his vinta, or ceremonial barge, manned by forty oarsmen. He was
accompanied by his leading datus, his Mohammedan Arab advisor and
his East Indian interpreter. He brought with him also his two sons
and two of the sons of the late Datu Ali, who met a violent death
last fall at the hands of the American troops.
I regret that we were not able to secure a photograph of him as he
approached, for it was a sight of royalty such as we had not before
witnessed. No language can convey the impression that he made upon
us as he approached the shore, smoking a cigar and flanked on either
side by a brown skinned urchin bearing an open umbrella of red silk
trimmed with wide yellow fringe. He stayed long enough to compliment
the American officials and to commend Judge Powell, who happened to
be with us, for treating the rich and the poor alike. Piang's sons
and the younger son of Datu Ali have been studying English under
the instruction of Governor Boyd's wife, and they showed creditable
progress in arithmetic as well as in the use of the language. Piang
said that he wanted the boys to finish their education in the United
States.
Datu Piang is not of royal blood; in fact, he is part Chinese, but
he showed himself so able a financier that he became indispensable
to Ali, the reigning Datu, and gave his daughter, Minka, to him in
marriage. When the Americans entered the valley, Piang counseled
surrender, but Ali went on the war path and he and his father-in-law
became such bitter enemies that the latter refused to receive his
daughter into his house after Ali's death, until urged to do so by
the American officers.
We returned with Piang in his barge and spent a half an hour at his
house. In that dimly lighted upper room there gathered a dusky,
half-bare crowd of men and women and children, in the center of
which sat Minka, the child-widow, just recovering from the wounds
which she received at the time of her husband's death. I never felt
more deeply, than when I looked upon them, the responsibility of our
nation, or more anxious that our country shall so act as to bring
to these people the largest possible amount of good. One would be
hard hearted, indeed, who could see in them and in their habitation
nothing but the possibility of exploitation.
When we left, Piang gave a lantaka to each of the men in our party,
and to some of us spears and knives in addition, while the ladies
were remembered with vessels of brass, of native manufacture,
and sarongs. If our visit had been a hostile one, the cannons
and weapons carried away would have made it memorable, for many
expeditions have returned with less of the spoils of war.
Our next stop was at Zamboanga, the most important port on the
island and the headquarters of Governor Wood. The harbor at the city
is not very well protected, but there is a little bay about eight
miles away which affords both deep water and shelter. We found more
Americans at Zamboanga than at any point outside of Manila, nearly
all of them being in the service of the government. We visited two
Moro schools here and listened to an address of welcome in English
delivered by one of the students. Dr. Saleeby, an Armenian, is the
superintendent of schools in Zamboanga and has furnished a great
deal of information in regard to the tradition, history and customs
of the Moros. He has also prepared primers in Arabic for the Moros
of Mindanao and the Sulu Islands.
[Illustration: MOROS.]
Our tour of the islands ended at Jolo, or rather at Maibun, on the
other side of the island. Jolo is the chief seaport of the Sulus,
and the Spanish alternated with the natives in occupying the space
within the walled city. A guard is still kept at the gate and the
Moros are not allowed to remain within the walls at night. They
enter freely during the day, but are required to leave their weapons
outside the gate. There are only five Americans in Jolo, besides
the government officials; two of these keep restaurants, two have
saloons and the fifth has recently opened a photograph gallery.
Just outside of the city walls there is a Chinese village (as there
is also at Zamboanga), the mercantile business being largely in the
hands of the Chinese in both of these towns. There are a number of
Christian Filipinos at both Zamboanga and Jolo.
The sultan of Sulu used to live in Jolo when the Spanish were not
there, but during their occupancy of the town, and since, he has
lived at Maibun on the opposite shore some ten miles distant. Major
Stafford, who is in command of the post there, in the absence of
Colonel Scott, invited the sultan to come to Jolo on the day of
our arrival, and he appeared promptly on time. So much has been
written of him in the United States that the readers of these
articles may be interested in a description from life. He came on
a pony, accompanied by a servant, who held over him a large red
umbrella, and followed by a retinue of datus, head men and small
boys. A native band beat drums and tom-toms as the procession moved
along. The sultan himself was dressed in modern clothes, but all the
rest wore the native dress. His single-breasted, long-tailed blue
broadcloth coat was buttoned to the throat with gold buttons and
his trousers were of the same material. He wore tan shoes and a fez
of black and red, and carried a gold-headed ivory cane given him by
the Philippine commission upon his last visit to Manila. He is small
of stature, but compact in build, and carries himself with dignity
and reserve. His teeth are black and he shares with his countrymen
a fondness for the betel nut and tobacco. His prime minister, Haji
Butu, who accompanied him, speaks more English than the sultan,
though the latter is able to use a few words. After a short call
we all repaired to a hall near by where a spear dance had been
arranged, and we saw the natives, men and women, go through native
dances which, in some respects, resemble those of the American
Indian.
The next morning we crossed the island under the protection of a
troop of cavalry and returned the sultan's call. (A few miles from
the trail stands a mountain[3] where about eighty Moros still refuse
allegiance to our government.) He lives in a nipa house but has a
frame building covered with galvanized iron (still unfinished) in
which he receives his guests. He sent for one of his wives (of whom
he has four); he has three or four concubines, he does not know
which, but these are not included in the list of wives. The prime
minister has four wives and two concubines, and one of the head men,
at whose house we stopped on the way, had several wives. The sultan
said that the wives were usually kept in separate houses, but that
his lived together in one house.
[3] Since our visit the Americans have attacked this hill and taken
it with great slaughter.
The sultana, whom we saw, was dressed in silk, with trousers of
red and white striped satin and wore high heeled shoes. She has a
strong face, one of the most intelligent that we saw in Sulu. Both
the sultan and his wife wore diamond and pearl rings. At our request
the sultan brought forth his diamonds and pearls and exhibited his
uniforms, heavy with gold braid and buttons. He is now drawing a
salary of about five thousand dollars a year from the American
government for exerting his influence in our behalf, and as a matter
of economy it might be cheaper to put the datus on the pay roll than
to suppress them by force of arms. His salary, however, is probably
due as much to his being the head of the church as to his fighting
qualities.
We sailed from Maibun to the Bornean coast in order to take a
steamer for Singapore, and as we are studying colonialism, it was
probably fortunate that we did, for we found a few foreigners
developing North Borneo with Chinese coolies, the natives being lost
sight of entirely.
At Sandakan there are thirty-eight English, two Germans and two
thousand Chinese, but we searched in vain for a native. In and about
Kudat, another Bornean port, there are twenty-two Europeans and
ten thousand Chinese, and here we found only a few of the original
inhabitants. At Labuan there are about twenty-five foreigners, and
the local business is in the hands of the Chinese and East Indians.
I refer to the plan of development adopted in those parts of Borneo
at which our steamer stopped because they throw light upon the
colonial question with which we have to deal. Having described
briefly, but as fully as space permits, the conditions as I found
them in the Philippines, I shall devote the next article to a
discussion of the policy which should be pursued by the United
States in regard to them.
[Illustration: MORO SCHOOL--ZAMBOANGA]