228 The Gardens of the Stin. [ch. hi. 



mucli on a common ground, and were apparently un- 

 trammelled by that strict and exclusive etiquette so 

 characteristic of the Borne an Malays. Some of the 

 ladies were very comely and richly dressed, notably the 

 court ladies and the pretty wife of Datu Haroun, the 

 former Sulu governor of Sandakan. This lady spoke 

 Malay well, an accomplishment which few of the Sulu 

 women possess, and we spent a very pleasant quarter 

 of an hour in her company. 



The dress of the Sulu women consists of a pair of 

 loose trowsers of white cloth generally, but for holiday 

 times often red, yellow, magenta, or blue silk, and a loose 

 jacket ("baju") also of silk, often braided down the front, 

 and ornamented with large gold or silver buttons. Over 

 these a long sarong, or petticoat, is worn as a sash, cloak, 

 skirt, or petticoat and belt combined, according to the 

 fancy of its wearer at the time, for to the Sulus and 

 Malays the sarong supplies the place of the dress and 

 bonnet of civilised society here at home. Most of the 

 " sarongs " worn by the ladies I saw to-day were of silk, 

 very richly embroidered with flowers, butterflies, or com- 

 plicated designs of a foliated pattern, the same on both 

 sides the material, and really producing a beautiful effect. 

 The colours were mainly gaudy and barbaric in splendour, 

 but here and there real taste was evident. One lady wore 

 a buff sarong of very rich texture, with a neatly-worked 

 border in black, while another, in a green and black check 

 or tartan, was especially noticeable. Rings of gold and 

 silver, often richly set with stones and pearls, are worn 

 on the left hand as a rule, but ladies of the highest 

 class have both hands studded with jewelry. Ear orna- 

 ments are not so much affected as by the Malays, and 

 although most of the girls have apertures slit in their 

 pretty little ears, these are rarely used for earrings, being, 



