is hands cut off. I remember, also, the news reaching
us that several military officers were sitting outside a cafe in
Jolo Town, when a number of _juramentados_ came behind them and cut
their throats.] However, the Governor did not oppose my wish--on the
contrary, he jocosely replied that he could not extend my passport so
far, because the Sulus would not respect it, yet the more Europeans
the better.

Officials usually went by sea to Maybun, and a gunboat was now and
again sent round the coast with messages to the Sultan, but there
was no Government vessel in Jolo at this time.

Our party, all told, including the native attendants, numbered about
30 Christians, and we started early in the morning on horseback. I
carried my usual weapon--a revolver--hoping there would be no need to
use it on the journey. And so it resulted; we arrived, without being
molested in any way, in about three hours, across a beautiful country.

We passed two low ranges of hills, which appeared to run from S.W. to
N.E., and several small streams, whilst here and there was a ranche
of the Sultan's subjects. Each ranche was formed of a group of
10 to 20 huts, controlled by the cacique. Agriculture seemed to
be pursued in a very pristine fashion, but, doubtless owing to the
exuberant fertility of the soil, we saw some very nice crops of Rice,
Indian Corn, Sugar Cane, and Indigo and Coffee plantations on a small
scale. In the forest which we traversed there were some of the largest
bamboos I have ever seen, and fine building timber, such as Teak,
Narra, Molave, Mangachapuy, and Camagon (_vide_ Woods). I was assured
that Cedars also flourished on the island. We saw a great number of
monkeys, wild pigeons, cranes, and parrots, whilst deer, buffaloes,
and wild goats are said to abound in these parts.

On our arrival at Maybun, we went first to the bungalow of a
Chinaman--the Sultan's brother-in-law--where we refreshed ourselves
with our own provisions, and learnt the gossip of the place. On
inquiry, we were told that the Sultan was sleeping, so we waited at
the Chinaman's. I understood this man was a trader, but there were no
visible signs of his doing any business. Most of our party slept the
_siesta_, and at about four o'clock we called at the Palace. It was
a very large building, well constructed, and appeared to be built
almost entirely of materials of the country. A deal of bamboo and
wood were used in it, and even the roof was made of split