The districts of the island conform in a great measure to its natural
divisions. However, political reasons have modified the natural bound-
aries and increased the districts to six by division. These districts
are Parang, Pansul, Lati, Gi'tung, Lu'uk and Tandu. The first district
on the west is Parang. A line joining the western limit of Bwalu on the
south coast, with a point slightly east of the summit of Mount Tuman-
tangis, and projected to the sea on the north, delimits this district on the
east and carves out of the western natural division the district of Pansul.
The eastern boundary of Pansul is a line running from a point 2 or 3
miles east of Maymbung to Mount Pula and Busbus. The chief reason
for separating Pansul from Parang was to reserve for the sultan direct
control over Jolo and Maymbung. This district has more foreigners
residing in it than any other.
the summits of Mounts Daliu, Tambang, and Sinuma'an and falling on
the east to the vicinity of Su', divides Lati on the north from Gi'tung
on the south. For all practical puii^oses the district of Lati may be said
to lie between Job) and Sif, and the district of Gi'tung or Talipao
between Maymbung and Tu'tu\ The land joining Si'it and Tu'tu' is
low. Sulu traditions say that when the Samals arrived in tlie island
this neck of land was submerged and the island was divided ])y a channel
of water. The extinct volcano of Pandakan, generally spoken of as the
''Crater Lake/' which lies in this vicinity, may be of late origin and may
have been the source of the geologic deposits which helped to fill the
channel. Spanish records speak of a volcanic eruption in the vicinity
of Jolo as late as 1840, and it is very likely that other volcanic action
occurred prior to that date and after the arrival of the Samals in the
fourteenth century.
A line joining Liniawa on the north and Sukuban or Tandu Panu'an
on the south, divides Lu'uk from Tandu, thus forming the fifth and
sixth districts respectively. A line joining Mount Tayungan and Bud
Tandu divides both Lu'uk and Tandu into a northern and a southern
part. In both casc^ the southern parts are more fertile and better
cultivated and probably more thickly populated than the northern.
The Sulus are principally agriculturists. The greater part of the
people are farmers and a considerable poi-tion of the int<3rior of the island
is under cultivation. They raise a good number of cattle, carabaos, and
horses, which they utilize for tilling the soil and transporting its prod-
ucts. Trails cross the island in all dirtx?tions and the interior is in
easy communication with the sea. Fruits are good and abundant. The
forests are rich in jungle i)roducts and in timber. Some copra and
hemp is raised and the amount is being increased annually. The
staples are tapioca, rice, and com. Sugar cane is raised in small quan-
tities. Vbi and taro are fairly abundant. Some coffee is produced, but
disease destroyed most of the plantations. Some tobacco and vegetables
are raised for home consumption only.
Jolo is one of the best fish markets in the Philippine Islands. The
varieties of fish in Sulu waters are innumerable and of excellent quality.
The Island of Sulu surpasses Mindanao in the quality and proportional
amount of its fruit. There is an abundance of mangostins, durians,
nangkas (jack-fruit), Janqoncs,^ marang.s,^ mangos of several varieties
{mampalam, hairnu, and wanni), oranges, custard apples, pineapples,
bananas, etc.
In the extent and quality of cultivation the district of Lu\ik ranks
first, Parang second, and Lati third. Good fresh water abounds every-
where except on the westeni coast. Considerable irrigation is possible
in many localities.