164 The Gardens of the Sun. [ch. vm. 



and welcomed us before the Sultan appeared. They were 

 intelligent men, and it was a pleasure to hear Malay 

 spoken by them in all its purity. Tea was offered us, 

 together with the long Nipa leaf cheroots so largely 

 smoked by Malays and Bomeans of all grades. 



In about five minutes His Highness appeared, dressed 

 in a long Arab coat, a sarong, and having a small black 

 cap on his head. That the portraits of P ope Piu s IX. 

 resemble him very much has repeatedly been observed 

 by visitors here. He walked slowly, bearing rather 

 heavily, as I thought, on a long staff, which had two 

 short prongs at the lower extremity. He came forward, 

 and we shook hands, after which he sat down in an 

 arm-chair on the opposite side of the table. He told us 

 that he was now a very old man, and that every day 

 found him weaker. I thanked him for a passport he 

 had given me some months before for the journey inland 

 to Kina Balu. 



He seemed interested in hearing of the great moun- 

 tain, and asked several questions. He appeared as- 

 tonished to hear it was so cold there ; and inquired as 

 to the tobacco and rice crops. He also expressed his 

 regret that being now old and infirm, he could not under- 

 take a journey to the mountain himself, of which, he ob- 

 served, he had heard several accounts derived from natives 

 who had accompanied Mr. Low and Mr. St. John. 



On leaving the Sultan's, we visited a foundry situated 

 near the house of the minister of war or the Tumongong ; 

 also the house of a gold worker, who made most of the 

 trinkets, rings, and ear ornaments worn by the Brunei 

 ladies. The proprietor, an old man, showed us some 

 prettily designed specimens of native gold work, the ear 

 ornaments being especially singular. It is the fashion 

 for many of the ladies of Brunei and the interior to cut 



