MARITIME LODE. U 



thorny, that they respectfully submitted the circumstance to the 

 serious consideration of the Eaja, requesting that the whole of 

 the Menangkabaus might be removed from Johor, or they would 

 be soon enslaved by them. 



'The Eaja listened not to their request; and the Eaja Muda 

 becoming more enraged, he again assembled his friends and ad- 

 herents, and the number of those who were dissatisfied with the 

 Menangkabaus being allowed to remain in Johor becoming very 

 great, they unanimously agreed, to the number of above eight hun- 

 dred, to proceed, with long krises, into the compound of the Me- 

 nangkabaus and put them to death ; this resolution being fixed at 

 midday. They were desirous, however, of securing from danger the 

 daughter of the Eaja, and. accordingly, previous to the attack, a 

 few men entered the compound at sunset unobserved, and brought 

 the Princess in safety to the Eaja Muda. 



"The Prince, entering the apartment where he expected to find 

 the Princess, searched in vain tor her; and aware of the enmity of 

 the Eaja Muda, he instantly assembled all the Menangkabaus; the 

 gong was sounded and all were in arms. 



"Accompanied by all the Menangkabau men who were in the 

 compound at the time, the Prince sallied forth in search of his 

 Princess; no sooner were they without the compound than the 

 Eaja Muda, hearing them approach, advanced against them ; a se- 

 vere battle ensued, which lasted from before midnight until day- 

 light next morning, and in which four hundred of the men of Johor 

 were slain. 



"In the morning the Prince re-entered the compound, and was 

 closely followed by the remaining force of the Eaja Muda ; these, 

 however, were soon slain to a man by the Menangkabaus, and 

 the Eaja Muda only escaped with his life, having taken the pre- 

 caution of returning to his house unobserved, before daylight. 



" The Prince, exasperated at the treacherous conduct of the 

 men of Johor, and offended that the Eaja should permit the Eaja 

 Muda thus openly to attack him, proceeded the next morning 

 with all his men in order to give battle to the Eaja himself, to re- 

 venge the ill-treatment he had received, and, if possible, recover 

 the Princess, his wife, A severe engagement took place, which last- 



