A GLANCE AT RHIO, 
groom, a boy Of 14 dressed richly for a Malay, was carried on mens 
shoulders to the house, accomparmied by the principal people attach¬ 
ed to the Raja. On passing he was saluted by the quasi soldiers 
a la militaire. Nest came the bride enclosed in scarlet curtains 
held extended by a frame, and excluding her from view. Immediately 
followed what we inferred to be matrons of noble blood, whose 
handsome appearance, fair complexions and peculiar gait, betoken¬ 
ed them to be inmates of the Rajah’s harem. Then came groups of 
all sorts of ladies, young and old, black, brown and yellow, to the 
number of at least six or seven hundred. This stream of feminity 
poured from the audience chamber and filled the dwelling house, 
where no more could he seen of them. Now commenced the roar of 
cannon created by our friend the gunner on the hill. The imitation 
soldiers formed into a circle with great gravity, and, led on by 
an ugly drummer and lifer with conical glazed hats and long peaks, 
they commenced a slow march round and round. Their native 
leader was now discovered amongst the motely crew, bearing in 
his hand a staff of authority, and though bare feeted wearing a 
cap with a gold band, military frock coat, and dirty white brow¬ 
sers. First he heads his gallant band with staff erect and toes 
well pointed; now he breaks off into the centre to admire the 
intoxicating whirl; then advances the Panglima prang taking a 
crease from under his sarrong, with which he describes a small 
concentric circle round and round, keeping time in short step with 
bis troops, until well tired of the amusement, when he stops on 
a sudden, throws up his crease in the air, catches it by the hilt 
halts his bare footed monsters, and marches them off the ground 
with great eclat. The din of gongs next commenced and the 
screeching of Chinese wyangs, the busy hum of which was long 
heard after leaving the scene. 
These Malays all wear their creases by their sides as in inde¬ 
pendent states, and their women display the same shyness of 
strangers as in other Mahomedan countries, running away at your 
approach, but at the same time displaying, notwithstanding their 
sham modesty, that species of coquetry so well described by Scott 
of the two maids on Waverley’s approach to the House of Tully 
Veolau. At dusk we reached the Steamer, tolerably well satisfied 
with our six hours visit to Rhio. 
