we neared the land in the ship's launch two
Moro boats anchored near the beach attracted our attention, the most
absurdly picturesque crafts one could well imagine, with curving prows
of rudely carved wood, outriggers of bamboo, and a thatched roof or
awning at one end. A gaily coloured hat hung from one of the boats, and
over each floated a red flag shaped like an isosceles triangle. These
flags were finished by a white border ruffled on all around, such
ruffles as we put on window-curtains in America, and over one of the
crafts floated the striped red and white flag of the Mindanao Moro.

On reaching the post we found that the boats belonged to two prominent
dattos visiting there. One of these dignitaries was an old, toothless
man, with a mighty following, two or three of his army even carrying
rifles and the others gigantic spears. The second datto was much
younger, and repaired to the officers' quarters to wait until the old
chap had departed, evidently recognizing his own social inferiority,
for he boasted half a dozen warriors only, and not a gun or spear among
them, though they carried _barongs_ of great beauty, with damascened
blades and handles of handsomely carved wood, some of them being
inlaid with pearl or ivory.

Each of the chiefs and all their followers were dressed in the
picturesque Moro costume, which we had seen first in Misamis and
Iligan, and all of them were frankly curious over the American
women. They discussed us freely to our very faces, and kept changing
their positions to get a better view of us, staring with amazement
when the old datto was brought up and introduced. How curious of the
Americans not to know that a woman should be taken to a datto, not a
datto to a woman. And then, too, how odd that they should shake hands
just like men, and not cover their faces at all, and what remarkable
hair the child had, just the colour of hemp, and how very, very tall
she was, though the interpreter insisted she was but nine years old.

Nor was this curiosity confined to the natives by any manner of
means, for officers and soldiers alike crowded around us, and one
non-commissioned officer took a snapshot of the group, explaining
later to his captain, who took him to task for his boldness, that he
had meant no harm, but just wanted the picture as a reminder of what
American women really looked like, not having seen one before in two
years. Needless to say he was forgiven, his interest being subjectiv