IN THE MENANGKABAW STATES. 185 



tau was dressed in red silk pantaloons laced 

 with gold, and in a baju of a brown co- 

 Jonr. After having stated the purpose of our 

 journey, we entered into a friendly conver- 

 sation, which, clianging from one topic to 

 another, fell finally upon the Mohammedan 

 religion. Thougli the Sultan is a disciple of 

 Mohammed, he appears to have very litlJe 

 confidence in the supposed prophet; the way 

 in which be ridiculed several Mohammedan 

 laws and customs shows that he pays very 

 little attention to the practices which are 

 so religiously kept by other Malays. The 

 Malay priest appeared to be much dissalis- 

 fied with the behaviour of the Sultan on 

 this subject, though he did not reply by any 

 objection ; his silence possibly was the etlect 

 of his incapacity, for 1 i-emarked, in conver- 

 sation 1 had with him, tliat ht^ was a very 

 stupid man. However, 1 am very far from 

 apprcjving the conduct of the Stdtiui on 

 that ncfasioiL In tny humble opinion, wfien 



