n.] THE SULTAN'S WIVES 39 



the intrusion of the Spaniards, and opium-smoking, no doubt all 

 combined to shorten his life.^ He was also considerably in debt at 

 Singapore, but with an elastic conscience and plenty of his warriors 

 at hand, he was less likely to suffer from anxiety on this account 

 than his creditors. He would be a bold dun indeed who would 

 venture to go to Sulu in search of his money. 



To European eyes the Sultan's wives were not very attractive, 

 in spite of the brilliancy of their attire. All wore gold-embroidered 

 Turkish slippers, and silk stockings, which in some cases were 

 covered with spangles. Their dress was a loose sacque reaching 

 nearly to the feet, of silk or stuff of bright colour. Over this was 

 a loose jacket buttoned a la chinoisc, and the head and shoulders 

 were enveloped by shawls of shiny gauze with a gold fringe. One 

 — the Chinese girl — wore hers as a yashmak, but her reason 

 became apparent when, on removing it to drink some lemonade, 

 she disclosed a bruised lip, which may or may not have been the 

 result of personal chastisement administered by her lord and 

 master. Their hands were covered with rings, for the most part 

 set with pearls, which are the chief product of the island. 

 It was amusing to see them looking over a photograph book, 

 where the jewellery to be seen in the portraits was the only 

 thing that interested them. Their opinion of English ladies 

 was evidently lowered when they discovered that they wore so 

 little. 



Although only three wives had come on board, they were 



^ He died in the beginning ot 1884. The usual difficulty as to his successor 

 arose, one party declaring for his brother, — the rightful heir, — another for an old uncle 

 Avith whom he had been on anything but friendly terms. In May, 1886, the date of 

 our last intelligence from the island, the late Sultan's brother appeared likely to gain 

 the throne, but the matter was still unsettled. In spite of the disturbed condition 

 of the country, Captain Schiick, the German planter, had been unmolested. Desultory 

 fighting still continued. Any surplus in the population has no doubt been consider- 

 ably lessened, and the Spaniards behind the loop-holed walls of Jolo on the north of 

 the island are probably biding their time, and will step in when both parties are 

 exhausted. Their project of getting the young Sultan to go to Manila, ' ' in order to 

 be invested with his title," has failed. 



