FRIENDSHIP ESTABLISHED. [1845. 



were prepared as at Gunung Taboor, upon the open 

 area, one chest, covered with what might have been 

 intended for a table-cover, of a yellow ground, with 

 scarlet patterns, being devoted to myself and the 

 Sultan, who received me with as much warmth as I 

 judged to be in his constitution. He is a heavy, rather 

 corpulent and indolent person, about fifty-five years 

 of age, of mild demeanour, and exhibited his disposition 

 to be on good terms by hooking our thumbs and holding 

 them up in public, professing himself my firm friend. As 

 this was a repetition of the scene at Gunung Taboor, I 

 suspect it to be a state ceremony, implying to his sub- 

 jects friendly alliance ; I had no doubt of his being 

 favourably disposed towards us, but whilst retaining my 

 hand in his I detected a certain nervous trembling, which 

 suggested to me that he had not the vigour requisite for 

 command, and that my measures must be guided ac- 

 cordingly. 



Upon opening the business relative to the Lascars, this 

 weakness, upon his part, was manifestly beginning to 

 operate, and after urging the unexpected nature of my 

 demand, he requested a few minutes deliberation with his 

 chiefs before he could give a decided answer. He then 

 observed, but evidently by dictation from a scowling chief 

 near him whose tout ensemble was anything but prepos- 

 sessing, " that some of the Lascars could be produced in 

 two days, possibly less, but that the production of two 

 who were three days' journey in the interior, could not 

 be promised under a detention of less than six days." As 

 I suspected some intention on the part of the ministers, 

 to tire or elude our patience by this six days delay, and I 



