CHAP. III.] THE PANGLIMA OF PARAXG. 43 



had been previously arranged, and although Meiinbun and Parang 

 are only a few miles apart, the difference between his suite and 

 that of the Sultan was considerable. They boarded the yacht in 

 crowds, and though they behaved well, and we had no contretemjjs 

 of any kind, it was evident that they were, on the whole, a very 

 pretty set of ruffians. The Panglima Dammang had returned on 

 the previous day from a battle with his old enemy, the Maharajah 

 Taliil, in which nine men had fallen ; but though he had been 



VILLAGE OF PARANG. 



victorious, he did not seem by any means in a good temper. 

 Although he could have seen nothing of the kind before, he paid 

 not the smallest attention to the yacht or her fittings, and indeed 

 took no interest in anything except some champagne, of which he 

 drank two tumblers. He wore his favourite 'parang, with which, 

 we were told, he had killed thirty men ; and as he sat scowling in 

 a corner of the saloon, the thought how easily he might enlarge 

 the number and add the Marchcsa to his navy if he chose passed 

 through our minds. Possibly the same idea occurred to our guest 

 also, but if it did he was far too wise to act upon it. 



There was a little sea running when the first detaclunent of his 

 people left for the shore, and the prau, being overloaded, filled and 

 sank about a hundred yards from the ship. There was in reality 



