28 SPORT AND TRAVEL 



house, where a day was spent in making final pre- 

 parations for the trip. 



We were to have had an audience of the Sultan of 

 Perak, but as he was indisposed at the time, this 

 unfortunately was impossible, and our shooting per- 

 mits were sent us by the da to instead. I happened, 

 however, through an amusing mistake, to be pre- 

 sented to one of the three sultanas, each of whom 

 lives in a separate istana or palace. The chief native 

 physician, having been introduced to us by the 

 dato, called at the rest-house on the morning after 

 our arrival to see if one of us would not care to 

 accompany him on his rounds in order to see some- 

 thing of the town; and as the others were busy 

 packing, I agreed to join him. He showed me the 

 hospital, which though simple was neat and orderly 

 in a degree worthy of the most civilized of cities; 

 and having attended to several cases, started for an 

 istana, where he was to visit one of the Sultan's 

 wives. We entered and passed upstairs to a large 

 anteroom from which a door led into the Sultana's 

 apartments. As the doctor opened this door he made 

 a sign to me which I misinterpreted to mean that I 

 should follow, and I was ushered in at his heels. 

 The Sultana was sitting on a dais at one end of the 

 room with her handmaidens grouped about her, and 

 in her lap a baby born but a few weeks before, per- 



