book. Amongst other things therein was a rough sketch
of a “ harong ” or sword, and its carved sheath belonging
to the old Orang Kayu at Meimhong, which His Highness
at once recognised, and he sent off “ Gelah ” to fetch a
valuable one of his own, which was, as he told me, of
Sulu manufacture. The blade was beautifully finished,
having an inlaid representation of a scorpion on one side
and a centipede on the other, together with some Arabic
dates of important events. The handle was of ivory,
carved and mounted in chased gold and pearls. I made
a sketch of this weapon, at which he was greatly pleased,
and he watched every line and touch with great interest.
We had dined previous to our leaving the ship, and
I had congratulated myself earlier in the evening at
having been lucky enough to escape eating more than a
biscuit with my cup of chocolate ; but even after ten
o’clock our table was loaded with more edibles. There,
were dishes of snowy rice, biscuits, excellent fish, curried
fowl, eggs boiled, and some bananas and other fruit.
The whole was daintily cooked and well served. With a
graceful wave of the hand he requested us to satisfy the
hunger which, as he said, he felt sure had been occasioned
by the long ride we had been so good as to
undergo in order to visit him. Of course there was
nothing for it but to fall t o ; and I must say that we
both enjoyed the fresh fish and rice, and the well-
made curry very much. Clean water and glasses were
placed on the table, and chocolate was again brought
in. After this meal more brandy and water and
cigars were introduced to our notice by “ Gelah,” and
we kept up a conversation with His Highness until after
twelve o’clock, when he withdrew after having had a
peep to see that our sleeping apartment was. in good
order. As soon as his back was turned towards us—
almost before, “ Gelah ” pocketed all the surplus cigars
and took another cup of neat brandy,—his example being
followed by one or two of the other attendants.
We retired to our room for the night; and then the
Sultan’s son, Datu Mahomed, and “ Bottelah,” the
Sultan’s secretary, together with two or three others,
including “ Gelah,” came in for a chat, so that we did
not get a chance of sleeping a wink until after two
o’clock. Even when we were alone in our sleeping
apartment, and had reclined just as we were in our
clothes on the cushions and finely worked mats spread
out for us, I somehow felt conscious that we were
watched; and once I caught a glimpse of a dark figure
gliding past a square opening in the wall above. Our
room communicated with the audience chamber which
we had just left, by a window-like opening about two
feet square. The lights in the large chamber had been
extinguished, while we, as is customary in the East, had
a glimmering oil lamp in our room, so that any one in
the audience chamber could see us plainly, without heing
themselves seen. We had 110 fear of treachery, and yet
could not help feeling a creeping sensation of uneasiness
as shadow after shadow passed the opening to the right
of which we lay. At length a shadow lingering longer
than usual, I sprang to my feet and put my head through
the opening. A little suppressed scream, and the patter
of bare feet on the platform on the other side, followed
by muffled titters and whispering, told the tale.
The ladies of the court, debarred by etiquette from
seeing us publicly, had taken advantage of the darkness
to obtain a peep at us. Barefooted, they had moved
more silently than mice on the platform in the next
room, and had satisfied their curiosity by stealing to the
opening one after another, and looking down on us to