- Author:
- Olivares, Jose de.
- Publication Info:
-
St. Louis:
N.D. Thompson,
1899,
pg 768
Text on page 768
768
OUR ISLANDS AND THEIR PEOPLE.
a The land, which is regarded as arable,, is very fertile, producing cocoanuts, oranges, lemons, cacao, rice, corn, sugar cane, beans, tomatoes, etc., the cocoa-nut trees having an appearance of thrift and bearing-power superior to those I have seen in any other part of the tropics. Deer and wild goats are found in abundance, and for years formed the principal meat food for the Europeans (Spaniards); cows and pigs are also reared.
a The road from Agana to the north of the island passes through an especially fertile country. In this section there is a large table-land, and where clearings have been made the ranches are in a good state of cultivation. All other parts of this table-land are covered with a very thick jungle, which can with difficulty be penetrated by a man on foot. The dugdug and other bread-fruit trees grow to enormous size on this island. The trunk of the former is supported about its base with flat, radiating buttresses.
a The belief in spirits inhabiting forests and lonely places is wridely spread throughout the islands of the Pacific. In Samoa they are called a aitu/ in Guam,
a gente del monte/ or people of the woods, often described as being headless, and jumping on the backs of people going through the woods at night, as did the devils upon the saints of old. They are supposed to frequent especially the vicinity of banyan trees, and of prehistoric remains, called a latda/ These are upright stones in the form of rough, truncated pyramids, arranged in two rows, and were very probably used as supports for a roof or covering of some kind, or possibly they were sepulchral monuments of ancient rulers. There are many of them upon the island of Guam.
a Flying foxes are numerous. They fly in full daylight, flapping their wings slowly, like a crow. They are eaten generally, and are one of the usual staples of food. They belong to the genus Pteropus, which is widely distributed over India, Ceylon, the Malay Archipelago and the islands of the Pacific. Besides this and a species of smaller bat, the only mammals are deer, rats, mice and pigs, all introduced. There are no snakes. Centipedes and wasps are common, both indoors and out. There is a small scorpion. The stings of none of these are dangerous. Spiders are common. Some of the spiders are very large, but none are dangerous. There are no tarantulas. There are a number of fishes and articulates in the fresh-water streams. These are probably peculiar to the island.
a The only industry of any consequence in the island of Guam is the production and exportation of copra. The price received by the natives from traders buying on the island ranges from $3
9 5 2 1 3
THE SULTAN OF SULU.
Taken at Jolo, Sulu Islands, January 2d, 1900. 1, the Sultan; 2, Major Owen J. Sweet, 22d U. S. Infantry and Governor of Sulu; 3, Prince Dato Rajah M idah Mohamad Mualil Wasit, the Sultana s eldt r brother and heir-apparent to the Sulu throne; 4, Cap Win. H. Sage. Adjutant 23d Infantry and Secretary Moro Affairs; 5, Hadji Mohamad Butu, Prime Minister to the Sultan; 6, Abdul Uahab, interpreter for the Sultan; 7, Char'es Schuck, official interpreter to the Governor of Jolo; 8, Otto Basarudin, fourth principal adviser to the Sultan; 9, Hadji Cato Mohamad Sali, sword bearer to the Sultan.
to $4, Mexican, per hundredweight. These merchants receive about double the above price for the product in Japan. In England copra sells for $75 per ton, gold.
a We found the towns very neat, indeed. In Agana probably half the houses are built of stone; the other houses are of nipa and bamboo, very much like those in Luzon.
a The people were very cordial and friendly. At every town we entered we were met by the leading men of the placea at two places with United States flags flyinga while flags were on many of the houses, bells were rung and other efforts were made by the natives to manifest regard for the Americans. I saw a few people who, I was informed, were pure Chamorros, and they impressed me very favorably. Their features were regular, their forms erect and they were in all respects fine physical specimens. There is very little money on the island. Wages are very low. The teacher at Urmata had a nice school of little children, and his pay was only three pesos, equal to $1.50, gold, per month. I understand that the pay has been or is about to be increased to $6, Mexican, per month.
a A short distance north of Agana is a settlement of from seventy-five to 100 Caroline Islanders. They preserve the native customs and methods of dress and have quite the appearance of American Indians. They are industrious and peaceable. They were brought to the island for employment as farm laborers, but now they seem to all have their own houses, or, more properly, huts, and they make a living by cultivating cocoanuts and small patches of ground, and by
5 3 6 1 4 2
MAJOR OWEN J. SWEET AND GROUP OF AMERICAN OFFICERS.
Taken at Fort Alfonsos XII., Jolo, Sulu IslandA , March 11th, 1900. 1, Rear Admiral John C. Watson. U. S.
2, Major .Sweet; 3, Executive Officer Aaron Ward, Lieut.-Com Wm. A. Nichol, 23d U. S. Infantry; 6, Capt. Wm. H. Sage.
U. S. N.; 4, Flag Officer Frank Marble, U. S. N.; 5, Capt.
catching fish.
a Our party spent a night at Ynarajan, and was received with the most marked hospitality. We were met by the leading citizens as we approached, and it wras touching to see the efforts of all the people to show respect to the American Government. Guns were fired, bells rung and the little son of the town governor walked by my side, playing an accordeon. We were taken to the best house in the place, where we were entertained by the people. We were given an excellent supper, and w^ere furnished comfortable beds, with very clean, nice, snow-white sheets and pillowcases. The next morning the population, including the women, called. We were given a good breakfast, and six of the citizens insisted on accompanying us to Apra, a distance of nearly if not quite fifteen miles/a
