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



had several young followers with him all smartly dressed 

 in embroidered jackets and breeches, with gaudy ker- 

 chiefs wound around their heads. He stayed on board 

 while the salute was being fired, and although it shook 

 the little vessel a good deal, and did some damage to 

 the skylights and crockery, he did not seem to mind it 

 much. The guns were fired with great regularity, and 

 the reverberation among the hills was grand. After 

 the firing was concluded His Highness came on board 

 and went over the whole ship. He was particularly 

 interested in the little Armstrong breech-loading gun, 

 and examined its mechanism very closely, he also ven- 

 tured down into the engine-room, and was evidently 

 astonished at the machinery therein. After looking 

 round the vessel he sat under the awning on the saloon- 

 deck smoking and talking until we had finished dinner, 

 and was very much interested in our European style 

 of eating. He has repeatedly been invited on board 

 English gun-boats which call in here occasionally, but 

 this was the first time he had ever ventured to set his 

 foot on board a foreign vessel. Mr. Cowie was very 

 anxious that all should pass off well, as it was very evi- 

 dent that His Highness was very nervous, and foreseeing 

 this possibility, the vessel had been laid alongside the 

 " jimbatan," or wharf, so that he could step on board and 

 leave without any trouble. 



He left just at sundown, appearing very pleased with 

 his visit, and he expressed his intention of again coming 

 on board in the morning, bringing the Sultana with him. 

 The houses on the wharf were crowded towards night 

 with Sums from all the neighbouring islets, and when the 

 lamps were alight presented a very animated sight to a 

 stranger. The common Sulus are rather intrusive, and 

 the native boatswain would have had much trouble to 



