RAJA AMBONG. 61 
ance of the omens (/angkah) he quitted the palace and went 
down to the vessel with CHE ALANG of Linggi and Tukang 
BONGKOK BONGSU BANGSAWAN. Going on board he clapped 
his hands and sat down (ber-tenggong); he then caused water 
to be poured over the bows, and cut the rope which made fast 
to the shore. The Batara Saludang Mayang then glided 
down into the water, looking like a peacock just spreading its 
wings for a flight. Raja AMBONG addressed his boat in 
verse and in prose and prayed to the Dewatas demanding a 
fair wind. Thereupon a breeze sprung up which carried along 
the prahu with astonishing swiftness. She fled past islands in 
less time than it takes to draw a breath, the bird on the wing 
was overtaken and passed, and the fly which attempted to settle 
on the boat found it slip from under him! The spirits which 
had haunted the merdau tree still kept their places on board, 
and the vessel sped on away, never stopping day or night. 
The Princess CHANDRA RupaA, on the morning after the 
Raja’s flight, was terribly upset at finding that her brother 
and the Batara Saludang Mayang had disappeared. But 
she was not to be outdone, and taking a couple of mirrors, 
her betel-box and her work she got on board an old boat cal- 
led the Lanchang Kuning, which had formerly belonged to 
her father. She prayed to the Dewatas and invoked the aid 
of the boat itself in such moving terms that it started off at 
once with the speed of a flash of lightning (sapertz kilat yang 
amat tangkis), a good length in front of the fastest breeze 
(dahulu sa’tapak deripada angin yang déras). For two days 
and nights the Princess sailed by herself, chasing her brother’s 
vessel, and on the morning of the third day, she came in sight 
of it. CHE ALANG was steering when he became aware of a 
craft astern of him, which was advancing at a tremendous 
pace, and he at once awakened the Raja, who dressed himself 
carefully and examined the stranger through a telescope. 
When he recognised the Lanchang Kuning and its occupant, 
he went back to bed again with fraternal indifference, and left 
CHE ALANG to receive the Princess, who soon ran alongside 
and came on board full of reproaches at having been deserted. 
She dismissed her boat, which turned round and sped away in 
the direction of Tanjong Bima. JXaja AMBONG then came on 
