230 The Gardens of the Sun. [ch. xh. 



awoke at sunrise to find nearly every one astir on the 

 wharf, the Sultana and her suite having thus early seated 

 themselves outside the houses to take the air. 



* 



Much amusement was caused by a large retriever dog, 

 "Neptune," which Mr. Cowie had on board, and which 

 delighted to plunge after any trifle flung into the water. 

 In about haK-an-hour the boats were brought, and Her 

 Highness and about fifty ladies went off to a sandy shoal 

 in the bay to bathe. We could see them quite plainly 

 from the ship flopping over the sides of the boats into 

 the sea, and floundering about like fat seals. They 

 evidently enjoyed themselves ; and after a quarter-of-an- 

 hour's racmg and splashing, they returned to the boats, 

 and then proceeded about a mile out to sea, where some 

 Badjows amused them by diving for pearl-sheUs and 

 coral. 



Eeturning to the wharf, the Sultan and Sultana came 

 on board ; and after Her Highness, who was only attended 

 by two of her ladies, had looked over the ship, he bade 

 us adieu. The boats were then brought alongside the 

 wharf ; the ladies embarked first, then the Sultan and his 

 suite. Splash went the polished paddles ; a wave of the 

 hand from His Highness, a dip of the flag at the mast- 

 head of the little steamer, and the first royal visit paid by 

 a Sultan of Sulu on board a steam-ship was over. Both 

 before and after this visit we saw a good deal of the 

 Sulus ; not only the traders, but the nobles and officers 

 themselves often came on board on business, or to take a 

 cup of tea and have a chat. One or two of them had a 

 weakness for gin " cocktaUs," but their general beverage 

 was tea or lemonade. All were armed with straight 

 knives; but most had the short heavy Sulu knife or 

 sword stuck in a silk sash or waist-cloth. Much of the 

 conversation was on the subject of market prices for 



