208 The Gardens of the Sun. [ch. xi. 



requisite at starting attended to, it was nearly seven 

 o'clock as we rode through the market gate, just opposite 

 the headman's house a veritable needle's eye there 

 being barely room for a slim Sulu pony and its rider to 

 squeeze through. The moon was in the full, and rose as 

 we started over the plain. We had a delightful gallop, 

 and had no need of a guide, as the horses knew the 

 way perfectly well. It had been a remarkably hot day, 

 but it was now deliciously cool, the soft air being grate- 

 fully redolent with the odour of a mint-like plant (Hyptis) 

 before mentioned. We laughed and sang to our heart's 

 content, and doubtless much to the surprise of the few 

 Sulus we met hurrying homewards. 



It seems strange that these beautiful and well culti- 

 vated islands should be still the last great stronghold of 

 piracy in the eastern seas. This has been the great blot 

 on the Sulu character for centuries ; and they are also 

 credited with having poisoned many of the traders who 

 formerly visited the island, and to whom the}' had be- 

 come largely indebted for goods. We reached the Istana 

 soon after eight o'clock, and tying our ponies to the 

 verandah we ascended to the audience-chamber above. 

 Here, in this chamber, we noticed two small Armstrong 

 guns mounted on low carriages, and a Gatling gun or 

 mitrailleuse was also conspicuous. The presence of the 

 modern armament here would have been rather puzzling 

 had we not known that the Sultan had obtained these 

 guns from the steam-ship America, as the first instal- 

 ment of the rental or payment which has to be made 

 annually to the Sultan on account of his having ceded 

 Sandakan and his territory in North Borneo to Baron 

 Overbeck's Company. 



Velvet-lined armchairs were immediately placed for us 

 at a round table below the raised platform, and refresh- 



