194 \The Gardens of the Sun. [ch. x. 



readiness to give chase and dispatch them. We, too, 

 waited here a little while, but finding no signs of sport we 

 rode on to a clump of low trees on the hill side where we 

 were told the Sultan and his people were waiting. We 

 found His Highness had dismounted, and was sitting on 

 the trunk of a fallen tree, smoking and watching for signs 

 of sport. He looked pleased to see us, and after he had 

 shaken hands with Mr. Cowie, whom he had long known, 

 I was introduced to him. Mr. Cowie told him I had come 

 to explore the island for natural history purposes, and 

 that I particularly wished to ascend the two highest moun- 

 tains. He seemed rather amused to hear of a traveller 

 looking for flowers and birds, but graciously replied that 

 I could go where I liked and he would tell his people to 

 help me, adding, that the best way of reaching the highest 

 mountain would be to come to his Istana and sleep there, 

 after which the mountain could be ascended in a day from 

 that place. I had previously been recommended to his 

 good offices by the government at Labuan through their 

 consular agent, Inche Mahomed, of Brunei, who had 

 landed here in Sulu a day or two previously in H.M. 

 gunboat " Fly," Capt. McNeil. As I saw His Highness 

 here seated on a fallen tree I could not help noticing 

 how emblematical the position was, since at the best his 

 position here as Sultan is but nominal, so fallen are the 

 fortunes of his house. Only two months after my visit, 

 i.e., in July, 1878, the Spaniards, after nibbling like timid 

 mice at the Sulu cheese for centuries took formal posses- 

 sion of the whole island by hoisting their flag in the 

 Sultan's capital of Meimbong. 



Behind him the Sultana and the ladies of her Court 

 were mounted on ponies, one or two scarlet and gold 

 coloured umbrellas being held over them. Altogether 

 there were ten or twelve mounted ladies and several 



