town, governed by an independent sultan, named Zarmawha, who has twice been in rebellion against the sheikh. Belial was obliged to take off his red cap and turban, and enter the presence with his head and feet bare—a ceremony which had previously been dispensed with on our journey. The sultan merely peeped at us through a lattice-work of bamboo, but inquired particularly, why I turned my face towards him as I sat. I, of course, replied, that turning my back would be, in my country, a gross affront; at which he laughed heartily. We had a separate letter to this prince from the sheikh: he seemed, however, to pay but little respect to it, or the bearer, Belial, while to me he was most attentive. We had ten dishes of fish and paste, which regaled our attendants sumptuously; and one of his own household took up his residence at our huts. The fish was stale, and offensive to more senses than one, which the natives rather prefer, as we do game that has hung some time. The sultan’s officer, however, seeing that I could not touch these Kussery delicacies, quickly brought me a mess made of fresh fish, which, though a little oily, was not unpalatable, with a large bowl of leban. Salt is here scarcely known, and therefore not eaten with any of their meals: out of the small stock I had brought, the townspeople were always begging little lumps, which they put into their mouths, and sucked with as much satisfaction as if it had been barley sugar. I gave the sultan, in the morning, a parcel of beads, two pairs of scissors, a knife, two turkadees, and a turban; on which he said “ we were a great people, a race of sultans, and would bring good fortune to his dominions!” I must not omit to mention a visit which I received from the sultan s sister. She had been some time divorced from her husband, who had gone over to the Begharmis. The officer in attendance on us announced her with great secrecy, about ten o clock at night. For the only light in our hut we were indebted to the pale moonbeams which shone through the door-way, as we had
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