iron muzzle-loaders forward. The visit was to be made in
two days’ time, and so there was plenty of time for preparations,
and the little wharf assumed an appearance of
hustle and activity I had never seen there before. A fine
young bullock was slaughtered by ll Peah,” and his slave
girls were as busy as bees in the little kitchen on the end
o f the pile jetty, preparing food and sweetmeats for the
visitors. Edible swallows’ nests, and the finest and
fattest of sea-slugs were placed in bowls of water to soak,
while rice was cleaned in large quantities, and freshly-
caught fish were brought in alive and retained in tubs of
■sea-water until required. Enormous brass betel-boxes
were cleaned and replenished with fresh lime and nuts,
and the mountaineers brought down the largest and
freshest of pepper or sirri leaves and fruits on the morning
of the visit. Inside the private apartments finely-
worked mats and embroidered cushions were placed for
the royal guests. Business seemed entirely suspended
for the time, and both Chinese and Sulus were evidently
looking forward to a general holiday. On board, the
sailors had made the little Far East nice and tidy, the
bunting of all colours and signal halyards were got into
order, and the mate sacrificed his old flannel shirts to
make bags for the powder with which the salute was to
be fired.
About eight o’clock on the appointed day a shot was
fired from the Armstrong, and we ¡were all surprised at
the long rolling echo and reverberation it made among
the hills. About ten the Sultan and Sultana with their
entire suite and numbers of Sulus who formed a sort of
irregular guard of honour, arrived at Meimbong a gay
cavalcade, the brightly-embroidered jackets of the nobles,
and the crimson, blue, and yellow petticoats of the ladies
being very effective in the bright sunshine, the whole