S O O L O O. 355 



The dais was occupied by the Datu who is, next to the Sultan, the 

 greatest man of this island. He at once came from it to receive us, 

 and had chairs provided for us near his sanctum. After we were 

 seated, he again retired to his lounge. The Datu is small in person, 

 and emaciated in form, but has a quick eye and an intelligent counte- 

 nance. He lives, as he told me, with all his goods around him, and 

 they formed a collection such as I could scarcely imagine it possible 

 to bring together in such a place. The interior put me in mind of 

 a barn inhabited by a company of strolling players. On one side 

 were hung up a collection of various kinds of gay dresses, here drums 

 and gongs, there swords, lanterns, spears, muskets, and small cannon ; 

 on another side were shields, bucklers, masks, saws, and wheels, with 

 belts, bands, and long robes. The whole was a strange mixture of 

 tragedy and farce ; and the group of natives were not far removed in 

 appearance from the supernumeraries that a Turkish tragedy might 

 have brought together in the green-room of a theatre. A set of more 

 cowardly-looking miscreants I never saw. They appeared ready 

 either to trade with us, pick our pockets, or cut our throats, as an 

 opportunity might offer. 



The wife's apartment was not remarkable for its comforts, although 

 the Datu spoke of it with much consideration, and evidently held 

 his better half in high estimation. He was also proud of his six 

 children, the youngest of whom he brought out in its nurse's arms, 

 and exhibited with much pride and satisfaction. He particularly 

 drew my attention to its little highly-wrought and splendidly-mounted 

 kris, which was stuck through its girdle, as an emblem of his rank. 

 It was in reality a fine-looking child. The kitchen was behind the 

 house, and occupied but a small space, for they have little in the way 

 of food that requires much preparation. The house of the Datu 

 might justly be termed nasty. 



We now learned the reason why the Sultan could not be seen : it 

 was Friday, the Mahomedan Sabbath, and he had been at the mosque 

 from an early hour. Lieutenant Budd had been detained, because it 

 was not known when he would finish his prayers; and the cere- 

 monies of the day were more important than usual, on account of its 

 peculiar sanctity in their calendar. 



Word had been sent off to the ship that the Sultan was ready to 

 receive me, but the messenger passed us while on our way to the shore. 

 After we had been seated for a while, the Datu asked if we were 

 ready to accompany him to see the Sultan ; but intimated that no one 

 but Captain Hudson and myself could be permitted to lay eyes on 



