1 88 The Gardens of the Sun. [ch. ix. 



were brought on our arrival, and installed in two fancy 

 glass holders. The girls ran away to the kitchen to pre- 

 pare chocolate, which, together with biscuits, was soon 

 handed round, after which one of the dusky belles brought 

 us nipa leaf cigarettes very deftly made. 



A long " bichara," or talk on trading and other topics 

 now took place, gin and water being handed round at 

 intervals. We afterwards had some music on a kind of 

 harmonica, formed of about a dozen small gongs of graded 

 sizes, arranged in a bamboo frame, these being beaten 

 dulcimer-like by two sticks to an accompaniment of 

 five or six larger gongs and of some Malay drums. 

 The whole made a deafening noise as I thought, but 

 at a distance some very pleasant effects are produced, 

 the smaller gongs sounding quite sweet and bell-like in 

 tone. 



It is not an uncommon practice for Sulu parents to 

 sell their children, or for them to be taken into slavery, 

 as payment for some debt previously contracted by their 

 parents or guardians. It is a kind of slavery, however, 

 like that in Borneo, which is not so objectionable as it 

 sounds, since they enjoy pretty much liberty, and are often 

 far better off in the way of food and clothing than if they 

 were free ; nor are they torn from their home and friends 

 as in the case of the poor African of years ago. As I 

 have said they are well treated and are rarely chastised, 

 but we had one instance of this being done during the 

 time we lay in harbour here. A well-known Chinese 

 trader from Labuan " Cheng Ting " had brought with 

 him a young Chinese servant, or "boy" about twenty 

 years of age, and for a Chinaman remarkably handsome, 

 with a jet black pig-tail hanging nearly as low as his heels. 

 This "boy" was a great favourite with "Peah's" Sulu 

 girls, especially with one whom we, not knowing by name, 



