[10] By Royal Order of June, 1890, Brig.-General Arolas was appointed Governor of Mindanao. He died in Valencia (Spain) May, 1899.
[11] According to Sonnerat, Sulu Island produced elephants!—vide “Voyages aux Indes et à la Chine,” Vol. III., Chap. x. I have not seen the above statement confirmed in any writing. Certainly there is no such animal in these islands at the present day.
[12] This building was destroyed by Colonel Arolas, April 15, 1887 (vide p. [144]).
[13] A few outposts had recently been established by Royal Decree. They were all under the command of a captain, vide Chap. [xiii].
[14] There is another tribe in Palaúan Island called Batacs, with Papuan noses, curly hair, and very dark skin. Their origin is a mystery.
[15] Alfred Marche calls this the Tragulus ranchil, and says it is also to be found in Malacca, Cochin China, and Pulo Condor (vide “Luçon et Palaouan,” par A. Marche. Paris, 1887).
[16] By Royal Order of August 20, 1888, a concession of 12,000 to 14,000 hectares of land in Palaúan was granted to Felipe Canga-Argüelles y Villalba, ex-Governor of Puerta Princesa, for the term of 20 years.
He could work mines, cut timber, and till the land so conceded under the law called “Ley de Colonias Agrícolas,” of September 4, 1884, which was little more than an extension to the Philippines of the Peninsula forest and agricultural law of June 3, 1868 (vide Gaceta de Madrid of September 29, 1888). It appears, however, from the Colonial Ministerʼs despatch No. 515, to the Gov.-General of the Colony, dated May 24, 1890, that the concessionaire had endeavoured to associate himself with foreigners for the working of the concession. I myself had received from him several letters on the subject. The wording of the despatch shows that suspicion was entertained of an eventual intention to declare territorial independence in Palaúan. The Government, wishing to avoid the possibility of embroilment with a foreign nation, unfortunately felt constrained to impose such restrictions upon the concessionaire as to render his enterprise valueless.
Domesticated Natives—Origin—Character
The generally-accepted theory regarding the origin of the composite race which may be termed “domesticated natives,” is, that their ancestors migrated to these Islands from Malesia, or the Malay Peninsula. But so many learned dissertations have emanated from distinguished men, propounding conflicting opinions on the descent of the Malays themselves, that we are still left on the field of conjecture.