RAJA DONAN. 267 



He now resolved to test their obedience to orders and he 

 opened fire when his fleet entered the river. He met with a 

 spirited resistance and was himself wounded in the hand by a 

 shot fired by the Princess Che AMBONG. He then made sig- 

 nals of surrender and was soon recognised and suitably 

 received in his kingdom. 



RAJA PiakaS was married to the Princess Che AMBONG, 

 Raja Bandahara Tua to the Princess Telepuk Chahya at 

 Beram Birn, and the ugly boy, who had been created out of 

 the magic flute at the cock-fight, to the Princess Che Muda. 



Raja Donan's adventures were now nearly over, but be- 

 fore settling down in his kingdom, he and his uncle determin- 

 ed to revisit their own country, Mandi Angin. With a fleet of 

 three hundred sail, they voyaged for three months and ten 

 days and at last entered the well-known river. In vain did 

 the Bandahara look for the house and garden he had left, all 

 was jungle. They anchored and fired their guns, but three 

 days passed and no one came down the river in answer to 

 their signals. They then weighed anchor and proceeded up 

 stream to the place where the capital had been. All was si- 

 lent and deserted ; the BANDAHARA pointed out the sites 

 where hall and palace, wall and moat, had once been and 

 where now the castor-oil plant flourished and the wood 

 pigeon fed undisturbed. The scene saddened them inexpres- 

 sibly. After a few days they fell in with one or two old men 

 who still lingered about the place and from them they learned 

 that the old Raja had been dethroned by the seven lying as- 

 trologers, who had now established themselves as Rajas at 

 the head of the river, and that he and his Queen were living 

 like peasants on a little patch of garden-ground in the inte- 

 rior. A few days later, after long search, Raja DONAN suc- 

 ceeded in reaching a humble cottage in the forest in which 

 he found an old couple living. After conversation, he con- 

 vinced himself that these were his parents, but he did not 

 make himself known. He invited the old man to come the 

 next day to sell his fruit and vegetables on board the vessels 

 of the expedition. The latter duly came, and went away load- 

 ed with presents, and after this he continued to come daily. 

 The Raja Bandahara always hid in his cabin on these occa- 



