ch. xn.] Suite Entertainment. 227 



have kept the ship clear of them had it not been for the 

 dogs on board, four splendid creatures. They were a 

 retriever, two small terriers, and a formidable bull-dog, 

 which Mr. Cowie told me was the best safeguard from 

 the pilfering of natives he had ever invested in during 

 some years of Eastern cruising and coast trade. Thia 

 hint may be of some service to future explorers — a good 

 bull-dog or a terrier or two would, indeed, be the best 

 of guards to have at one's camping ground, since it is 

 next to impossible for anyone to approach without their 

 giving due loud-voiced warning. 



We went ashore after dinner and found " Peah's." 

 house filled to overflowing with guests. Room, however, 

 was made for us, and chocolate, biscuits, cigarettes, and 

 gin offered in turn. Incessant talking, varied by gong 

 music, and now and then a melancholy song by one of 

 the court ladies, together with food and drink to all 

 comers, seemed to be the programme. The singing, to 

 our ears, sounded like a dirge — the pentatonic scale being 

 used by these people as by the Malays and Chinese. 

 One young girl after singing part of a ballad relating 

 how a beautiful princess was stolen by pirates and 

 eventually became a Sultan's bride, " her skin being 

 pale as the jasmine flower, her breath sweet as the areca 

 bloom," eventually went off in a fainting fit, and had to 

 be carried out into the fresh air. Her place and legend 

 was immediately taken up by another girl, and I was 

 told that the thread of it was so long that several days 

 would be occupied by anyone who should attempt to 

 sing the whole story. Our interpreter, for the nonce, 

 was Datu Mahomed, who is very fond of Europeans. 

 He introduced us to several people of note in the„island, 

 and gave us much information which otherwise we could 

 not have obtained. Men and women here met pretty 



