A MOVE TO MARANU. 
255 
second or third, because this fortunately placed indi¬ 
vidual generally, for reasons too complicated to be 
here explained, acquires the greater portion of his 
sire’s wealth, and is chosen to succeed him by the 
elders of the nation as one likely to be munificent. 
Somiriali, the present Sultan of Maranu, is quite a 
young man, and has fifty wives. 
On the third day of my stay in his country the Sultan 
returned from his expedition, and I went to see him 
early in the morning. After waiting some minutes in 
a crowd of soldiers and women,- a thin, mean-looking 
youth at length appeared, and advanced somewhat 
timidly towards me. He took my hand, and I shook 
his vigorously. Then there was an awkward pause, and 
after smiling vaguely at one another, Mauki, one of 
the Sultan’s men, called to me from the crowd that I 
had better withdraw and see the Sultan afterwards in 
his house. Accordingly later on I repaired to the 
chief’s residence, and there saw him sitting in a close, 
pokey little compartment, his sleeping-chamber, in 
fidgety expectation of his presents. He looked on 
restlessly while the tin box was opened, and, as each 
fresh thing appeared, he asked, c< What else ? What 
else?” The musical-box he somewhat appreciated, 
and turned its handle by jerks. The cloth and beads 
were hardly looked at, and the coloured pictures which 
had so delighted the aesthetic Mandara were received 
with suspicion and distrust, as savouring somewhat of 
magic. After many words and fine promises, all of 
which had little effect on the dissipated youth, who 
was more concerned about the parasites that infested 
his person than about the advantages to be derived 
from the white man’s friendship, we withdrew and 
took our leave; but, shortly afterwards, the Sultan 
