C AG A VAX SULU. 



[chap. 



jacket, the haju, is usiiaUy the only upper garmeut, and is often 

 left open clown the front. The head-dress differs according to the 

 locality, but the mrong and haju are invariable, and 

 are worn alike by rich and poor throughout I\Ialaysia. 

 The latter garment is often of unornamented black 

 silk, or some equally plain material, even among the 

 most wealthy, but the sarongs of those of high rank 

 are generally of most beautiful workmanship, ablaze 

 with gold thread, and of great weight and value. 

 Our visitor, however, wore nothing of this description, 

 and was evidently a man of more intelligence than 

 wealth, but he carried a beautiful imrang — a most 

 murderous-looking weapon of a shape peculiar to this 

 island and those of the Sulu Archipelago. It has 

 the appearance of a sharp -pointed meat-chopper 

 stri^^ng by a process of evolution to become a sword, 

 and with its gTcat weight and razor- like edge, is 

 capable of cutting a man's body completely through 

 at a stroke. Fortunately these weapons are more 

 frequently used for other purposes, and are admirably 

 adapted for clearing a path in the thick jungle or for 

 openmg coconuts. Some that we saw afterwards 

 in Sulu had well-carved ivory handles, and the hilts 

 were in many instances of silver. They appear to 

 be all made by the native workmen in Sulu Island, 

 and are worn by every male almost from the time 

 when he is strong enough to carry one. 



The Pangerang smoked small cigarettes of Chinese 

 tobacco rolled in the thin dried leaf of the Nipa 

 palm, and chatted in jNIalay to one of us who was 

 conversant with that language. He told us that 

 the Spanish gun-boat Sirenia had visited the island in April, 

 1882, and had given him two docimients, of the contents of 

 which he was ignorant. He brought them for our inspection. 



SULU PARAXG. 



