224 The Gardens of the Sun. [ch. xn. 



Iron muzzle-loaders forward. The visit was to be made in 

 two days' time, and so there was plenty of time for pre- 

 parations, and the little wharf assumed an appearance of 

 hustle and activity I had never seen there before. A fine 

 young bullock was slaughtered by " Peah," and his slave 

 girls were as busy as bees in the little kitchen on the end 

 of the pile jetty, preparing food and sweetmeats for the 

 visitors. Edible swallows' nests, and the finest and 

 fattest of sea-slugs were placed in bowls of water to soak, 

 while rice was cleaned in large quantities, and freshly- 

 caught fish were brought in alive and retained in tubs of 

 sea-water until required. Enormous brass betel-boxes 

 were cleaned and replenished with fresh lime and nuts, 

 and the mountaineers brought down the largest and 

 freshest of pepper or sirri leaves and fruits on the morn- 

 ing of the visit. Inside the private apartments finely- 

 worked mats and embroidered cushions were placed for 

 the royal guests. Business seemed entirely suspended 

 for the time, and both Chinese and Sulus were evidently 

 looking forward to a general holiday. On board, the 

 sailors had made the little Far East nice and tidy, the 

 bunting of all colours and signal halyards were got into 

 order, and the mate sacrificed his old flannel shirts to 

 make bags for the powder with which the salute was to 

 be fired. 



About eight o'clock on the appointed day a shot was 

 fired from the Armstrong, and we [were all surprised at 

 the long rolling echo and reverberation it made among 

 the hills. About ten the Sultan and Sultana with their 

 entire suite and numbers of Sulus who formed a sort of 

 irregular guard of honour, arrived at Meimbong a gay 

 cavalcade, the brightly-embroidered jackets of the nobles, 

 and the crimson, blue, and yellow petticoats of the ladies 

 being very effective in the bright sunshine, the whole 



