ch. xii.] Female Supei r iority. 229 



indeed, as often made receptacles for cigarettes as any- 

 thing else. Ornate cloth or silk kerchiefs and head- 

 dresses of black, yellow, or red, set off then* raven tresses 

 to advantage on high clays and holidays, and among an 

 assemblage of fully two hundred women, such as we 

 saw here to-day, not two were dressed alike. Yellow 

 is the colour which predominates most, and the amount 

 of chrome which would render a European lady most 

 conspicuous and vulgar, seems only to enhance the dusky 

 charms, bright eyes, and luxuriant hair of these Sulu 

 belles. Only the Sultana and one or two others wore 

 stockings, and slippers Avere only used by the elite, and 

 to these they seemed a superfluity, since they mostly 

 carried them in their hands. The abundance of hair 

 possessed by these women is a noticeable feature, and 

 the}^ do not dress it so neatly as the Malays, but merely 

 comb it out straight, after which it is loosely knotted up 

 so as to form a mass on the top or one side of the head. 



From the opportunities I had of seeing the Sulu 

 women generally, I should say that they are far superior to 

 the men, and evidently have, as has been before noticed, 

 great influence with their husbands. A present to the 

 Sultana and one or two of the Datu's wives, would be 

 amply sufficient to ensure the safety and popularity of a 

 traveller here, a secret well known to the rich Chinese 

 traders, who make visits hither occasionally during the 

 year. Wishing to pay our respects to the Sultan ere 

 leaving for the night, we sought His Highness in vain 

 for some time, but at last found him with one of our 

 Chinese friends, smoking opium in a gloomy little com- 

 partment, from the close, penetrating odour of which we 

 were glad to escape as quickly as possible. We went on 

 board, but did not sleep much, owing to the talking and 

 gong-beating, which continued almost all night. We 



