RAJA DONAN. 247 



Back went the officer to his ship with the news of this defi- 

 ance. RAJA CHAMAR Laut, furious, upbraided his emissary 

 with cowardice, and declared his intention of going himself. 

 His counsellors implored him to do no harm to the child 

 whose message they had just heard. They felt sure, they 

 said, that he must be either an incarnation of the Dewatas, or 

 else a Prince of an ancient royal house, and to use violence to 

 him would only bring destruction on them all. But the Raja 

 was much too angry to listen to good advice, and all was made 

 ready for battle. For seven days and nights did the fleet fire 

 cannon and muskets, and then the King ordered firing to cease, 

 in order to judge of the result. When the smoke cleared 

 away, there was the Bunga Rampei, floating unharmed and 

 looking handsomer than ever. The Raja reproached his peo- 

 ple with incompetence, and told them to stand by and see his 

 personal prowess. Taking his own match-lock, powder and 

 bullets, he prepared for action, but first had recourse to magic 

 to forecast the result. To his disappointment, it was made 

 apparent to him by infallible signs that he must be defeated. 

 Nevertheless, he persevered, and his first shot brought down 

 the mast of the Bunga Rampei. The damage was soon re- 

 paired. RAJA DONAN simply plunged overboard, hauled up 

 the mast out of the sea, and fitted it in its place again. With 

 a little lela (brass swivel gun) not more than a span long he 

 iired a shot, which sunk the whole fleet of ninety-nine sail, 

 leaving only the Bidnri afloat. Thereupon he invoked the 

 aid of the trusty craft which bore him, and forthwith the 

 Bunga Rampei, of her own accord, ran alongside of RAJA 

 CHAMAR Laut'S vessel. With a terrible shout Raja DONAN 

 sprang on board, his own boat sheering off at the same mo- 

 ment and keeping the BANDAHARA out of danger. Attacking 

 furiously the warriors on board, he maintained the combat 

 single-handed for three days and three nights, and killed them 

 all. Finally, after a hand to hand fight, he defeated RAJA 

 CHAMAR Laut and cut off his head. 



Left master of the vessel, RAJA DONAN went all over her 

 to judge of his prize, and came upon a cabin in which he found 

 a beautiful maiden named Che Am BONG, the younger sister 

 of his dead foe — Raja Chamar Laut. Addressing her he 



