Unofficial letters of an official's wife [by] Edith Moses.

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

cipally fruit trees of new and interesting varieties.
The mountains behind the town rise in a series of
isolated peaks wooded to the tops. The sea is like
a mirror and the sky cloudless. By breakfast time
dozens of little boats came alongside the Sumner
with fruit, hats, shells, and curios for sale. At half
past nine the officers of the garrison came aboard.
Following them was a long double row of native
boats, gayly decorated. There were seventy-five
barges and boats, and they circled around the
transport beating tom-toms and playing on other
barbaric musical instruments, making the weirdest
sounds imaginable. From every boat a continuous
fusillade of fire crackers added to the din. Besides
the small boats, decorated with American and Moro
flags, there were three or four large barges containing the more important Moros. These were
covered with colored canopies or great parasols to
protect the officials from the hot sun. In the prow
of each boat there were half naked men, wearing
gay colored turbans and brilliant loin cloths, dancing a weird Malay dance accompanied by singing
and handclapping. The skin of the rowers shone
like bronze as they bent their backs to the oars. It
was like a scene in an opera. The flotilla sailed
around the transport several times, and thus gave
us a full view of it from all points. Then it divided
making adouble guard of honor; and the Sultan
was seen coming from the shore in a launch.
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