ms were brought out,
and placed in a row on pillows, whilst another large one, for the bass
accompaniment, was suspended from a wooden frame. A man beat the bass
with a stick, whilst the women took it in turns to kneel on the floor,
with a stick in each hand, to play a tune on the series of six. A few
words were passed between the three men, when suddenly one of them
arose and performed a war-dance, quaintly twisting his arms and legs
in attitudes of advance, recoil, and exultation. The dance finished,
I mounted my horse and left the settlement in embryo, called by the
missionaries Reus, which is the name of a town in Catalonia.

The climate of Mindanao and Sulu Islands is healthy and delightful. The
heat of Zamboanga is moderated by daily breezes, and in Sulu, in the
month of June, it is not oppressive. A year's temperature readings
on the Illana Bay coast (Mindanao Is.) are as follows, viz.:--

Average of Inside the House, Outside in the Shade,
Fahrenheit. Fahrenheit.

6 a.m. Noon. 6 p.m. 6 a.m. Noon. 6 p.m.
Jan.-March 73 deg. 84 deg. 83 deg. 72 deg. 84 deg. 80 deg.
April-June 74 1/2 deg. 83 deg. 78 1/2 deg. 74 1/2 deg. 92 1/2 deg. 78 deg.
July-Sept. 74 deg. 84 deg. 80 deg. 72 1/2 deg. 88 deg. 79 deg.
Oct.-Dec. 73 deg. 85 deg. 80 deg. 73 deg. 83 deg. 78 deg.

The Island of Palauan (Paragua) was anciently a dependency of the
Sultanate of Brunei (Borneo), hence the dominion over this island
of the Sultan of Sulu as suzerain lord of Brunei. At the beginning
of the 18th century Spaniards had already settled in the north of
it. It had a very sparse population, and a movement was set on foot
to subjugate the natives. In order to protect the Spanish settlers
from Mahometan attacks a fort was established at Labo. However, the
supplies were not kept up, and many of the garrison died of misery,
hunger, and nakedness, until 1720, when it was abandoned.

Some years afterwards the island was gratuitously ceded to the
Spaniards by the Sultan of Sulu, at their request. Captain Antonio
Fabeau was sent there with troops to take formal possession, being
awarded the handsome salary of P50 per month for this service. On
the arrival of the ships, an officer was sent ashore; the people
fled inland, and the formalities of annexation were proceeded with
unwitnes