336 
S O O L O O. 
partitioned off, to the height of nine or ten feet, enclosing, as 1 was 
afterwards told, the Sultan’s sleeping apartment, and that appropriated 
to his wife and her attendants. 
The Sultan is of the middle height, spare and thin; he was dressed 
in a white cotton shirt, loose trousers of the same material, and slip¬ 
pers ; he had no stockings; the bottom of his trousers was worked in 
scollops with blue silk, and this was the only ornament I saw about 
him. On his head he wore a small coloured cotton handkerchief, 
wound into a turban, that just covered the top of his head. His eyes 
were bloodshot, and had an uneasy wild look, showing that he was 
under the effects of opium, of which they all smoke large quantities. 
His teeth were as black as ebony, which, with his bright cherry- 
coloured lips,* contrasted with his swarthy skin, gave him any thing 
but a pleasant look. 
On the left hand of the Sultan sat his two sons, while his right was 
occupied by his councillors; just behind him, sat the carrier of his 
betel-nut casket. The casket was of filigree silver, about the size of a 
small tea-caddy, of oblong shape, and rounded at the top. It had 
three divisions, one for the leaf, another for the nut, and a third for the 
lime. Next to this official was the pipe-bearer, who did not appear to 
be held in such estimation as the former. 
I opened the conversation by desiring that the Datu would explain 
the nature of our visit, and tell the Sultan that I had come to make 
the treaty which he had some time before desired to form with the 
United States.j- 
The Sultan replied, that such was still his desire; upon which I 
told him, I would draw one up for him, that same day. While I w ? as 
explaining to him the terms, a brass candlestick was brought in with 
a lighted tallow candle, of a very dark colour, and rude shape, that 
showed but little art in the manufacture. This was placed in the 
centre of the table, with a plate of Manilla cigars. None of them, 
however, were offered to us, nor any kind of refreshment. 
Our visit lasted nearly an hour. When we arose to take our leave, 
the Sultan and his divan did the same, and we made our exit with low 
bows on each side. 
I looked upon it as a matter of daily occurrence for all those who 
came to the island to visit the Sultan ; but the Datu Mulu took great 
* Chewing the betel-nut and pepper-leaf also produces this effect, and is carried to a great 
extent among these islanders. 
t The Sultan, on the visit of one of our merchant-vessels, had informed the supercargo 
that he wished to encourage our trade, and to see the vessels of the United States coming to 
his port. 
