MEE. vv 
same. 
MEMOIR OF THE LATE MR. WILLIAM JACK. 
people bringing up the rear and doing the 
long enumeration of the honours 
of the Sultan, of the various countries and 
tribes subject to his authority, with other 
oriental rigmarole, was read with a loud 
voice ; after which the nobat, or royal band, 
Struck up, and at certain changes of the 
tune, the prostrations were renewed ; while 
a parcel of fellows with drawn swords ran 
about, as if to cut off every presumptuous 
head that bowed not sufficiently low. This 
over, the Sultan descended from his throne, 
and seated himself on a humbler cushion 
in the hall, where the chiefs came up to 
make their separate prostrations to the idol, 
who was all the while preparing and eating 
Siri, or Betel, out of a gold and silver box. 
"There was something of barbaric pomp 
and magnificence in all this not unamusing, 
and I could not help wishing there was a 
little more real authority behind this out- 
ward demonstration of it, for verily this 
people are a stiff-necked generation. The 
day after this, the Sultan gave us a dinner 
in return. On almost all other days he 
dined with us; our regular party at meals 
consisting of Radin Karim and Radin Aria 
Surga, two chiefs sent with us from Ben- 
coolen, the Sultan, and one or other of the 
juniors of the royal family. The two for- 
mer are very superior men, quite European 
in their notions, and whose manners wo 
fit them for any society. There was there- 
fore no dearth of conversation, and though 
carried on in Malay, you might be in many 
an English company where there was less 
of ease, of sense, and even of wit and 
playfulness than prevailed among us. In 
short, a more agreeable party could hardly 
- be desired, and our time passed remarkably 
pleasantly. On the 16th, having sent off 
our baggage the day before, we commenced 
our return; the stages are long, and some 
of them very fatiguing. We rested one 
day at Ipu, which is rather a pretty place. 
The next day's journey was very tiresome, 
; along a beach of fine sand and loose 
a the whole way, with several little 
 Tivers to ford, and two to ferry, swimming 
9ur horses. Yesterday was, however, the 
_ Worst, being wholly in the forest, over a 
145 
succession of small hills, with steep decli- 
vities, where it was generally impossible to 
ride; in those cases we commonly threw 
the bridle on the ponies’ necks, and let 
them roam up and down as they please, 
following them as we best could, and it 
was really astonishing to see what places 
these active little creatures made their way 
over. We intended to have divided the 
stage into two, but, by some mistake, pro- 
visions had not been sent on as ordered, 
to the place where we meant to have staid 
for the night, so we determined to push 
on: we were from six o'clock in the morn- 
ing to six in the evening on the way, so 
you may suppose we were not a little tired, 
considering, too, the nature of the road. 
Fortunately we had carried something to 
eat with us, which we always do on the 
long stages; we sat down by the bank of a 
mountain-stream, and made our breakfast 
on boiled rice, put up in plantain-leaves, 
with cold grilled fowl, in the true native 
method, with no instrument buf our fingers, 
I wish that the party could have been 
sketched, it would have altogether been an 
excellent scene. We stay here a day or 
two, and may perhaps make a trip up the 
rver to look at the interior, as we are in 
no hurry, and can amuse ourselves as we 
like in seeing the country. I am as well 
d as can be; indeed I think my journeys are 
always beneficial to me, and a little extra 
fatigue does me good, and puts me in spi- 
rits. Iam continually making discoveries 
of new plants, and in fact have hardly time 
in the day for putting together all the ma- 
terials and information that I collect.” 
This appears to be the last letter which 
his family had the happiness to receive 
from him, notwithstanding the excellent 
state of health and spirits in which he de- 
scribes himself to be. His happy tempe- 
rament and constant occupation did not 
probably allow of his being conscious of 
the inroads of disease, for it was a remark 
in one of his letters to his still surviving 
parents, er really think if I could always 
have plenty to do I should never feel ill- 
ness: it is only when I have leisure that I 
have time to be m The first account 
