Exploring rides—A state visit—Culinary business—Arrival of the Sultan and suite—Procession of boats—Armed attendants—A royal salute—Visit to the ship—Use of dogs aboard—Amusements ashore—Eastern singing—A royal interpreter—Dress of the ladies—Influence of the women—An early rising Sultana—Marine amusements—Departure—Journey to Bu’ut Dahau—Hospitality of the mountaineers—Ascent—Fine views from the top—Flowers and insects—A Hadji’s tradition—Siassi Island—A Horned Steed—Sandakan—Pulo Bahalatolois.
When we started from Labuan it was expected that the whole voyage to and from Sulu would be made in fifteen days. On our arrival here, however, the expected cargo was not ready, and it was found that another fortnight must elapse ere we could leave. This extra time I spent in riding over the island in every direction, and I was rewarded by specimens of plants and birds which had never reached Europe before. One night on my return to the ship for dinner, I was delighted to hear that the Sultan had arranged to pay a State visit to Meimbong, and that he had signified his intention of coming on board, this being indeed one of the principal reasons of his visit. It had been arranged that he and his suite would remain in the harbour for one night, sleeping in “Peah’s” house, the largest and most comfortable in the place. Mr. Cowie at once resolved to decorate the ship, and also to fire a salute from the guns on board, as he had an Armstrong amidships and two iron muzzle-loaders forward. The visit was to be made in two days’ time, and so there was plenty of time for preparations, and the little wharf assumed an appearance of bustle and activity I had never seen there before. A fine young bullock was slaughtered by “Peah,” and his slave girls were as busy as bees in the little kitchen on the end of the pile jetty, preparing food and sweetmeats for the visitors. Edible swallows’ nests, and the finest and fattest of sea-slugs were placed in bowls of water to soak, while rice was cleaned in large quantities, and freshly-caught fish were brought in alive and retained in tubs of sea-water until required. Enormous brass betel-boxes were cleaned and replenished with fresh lime and nuts, and the mountaineers brought down the largest and freshest of pepper or sirri leaves and fruits on the morning of the visit. Inside the private apartments finely-worked mats and embroidered cushions were placed for the royal guests. Business seemed entirely suspended for the time, and both Chinese and Sulus were evidently looking forward to a general holiday. On board, the sailors had made the little Far East nice and tidy, the bunting of all colours and signal halyards were got into order, and the mate sacrificed his old flannel shirts to make bags for the powder with which the salute was to be fired.
DAPANG, OR OUTRIGGED BOAT, SULU ISLANDS.
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About eight o’clock on the appointed day a shot was fired from the Armstrong, and we were all surprised at the long rolling echo and reverberation it made among the hills. About ten the Sultan and Sultana with their entire suite and numbers of Sulus who formed a sort of irregular guard of honour, arrived at Meimbong a gay cavalcade, the brightly-embroidered jackets of the nobles, and the crimson, blue, and yellow petticoats of the ladies being very effective in the bright sunshine, the whole effect being again heightened by the flashing of numerous spears. Filing through the narrow gate in the stockade, they waited for some minutes ere the boats were quite ready, and then embarked, a movement which occupied nearly half an hour. Knowing that the boats would block up the river when they eventually started, we returned to the ship, from which an excellent view of the procession of boats was obtained as they crossed the harbour to reach the houses on the wharf. The sight was extremely bright and pretty as the boats, with their gaily attired occupants, emerged from the mouth of the river and came across the bay. The Sultan’s boat was first, and the fat old Commander-in-Chief of the forces sat on the prow, paddle in hand, to steer clear of all impediments. Next came the Sultana and her chief ladies in a larger boat, two or three richly embroidered umbrellas being held aloft, while her infant son and nurse came along in a third boat with numerous attendants, and overshadowed by a splendid yellow silk three storied umbrella, decorated with streamers to steady it, each of these last being in the hands of a dusky slave. The following boats, of which there were about a dozen, carried the attendant nobles, headmen, minor ladies of the harem, and the necessary attendants or slaves. Besides these there was, of course, quite a crowd of natives in outrigged boats and canoes of all sizes.
His Highness landed on the “jimbatan,” and stood to watch the landing of the Sultana and her suite. He was surrounded by his people, all being, as is usual here always, armed. One man carried a heavy Lanun sword, while two others carried loaded revolvers in a very awkward manner. His son, Datu Mahomed, came on board as soon as he landed, and asked Mr. Cowie not to fire the salute until the ladies had retired indoors. He had several young followers with him all smartly dressed in embroidered jackets and breeches, with gaudy kerchiefs wound around their heads. He stayed on board while the salute was being fired, and although it shook the little vessel a good deal, and did some damage to the skylights and crockery, he did not seem to mind it much. The guns were fired with great regularity, and the reverberation among the hills was grand. After the firing was concluded His Highness came on board and went over the whole ship. He was particularly interested in the little Armstrong breech-loading gun, and examined its mechanism very closely, he also ventured down into the engine-room, and was evidently astonished at the machinery therein. After looking round the vessel he sat under the awning on the saloon-deck smoking and talking until we had finished dinner, and was very much interested in our European style of eating. He has repeatedly been invited on board English gun-boats which call in here occasionally, but this was the first time he had ever ventured to set his foot on board a foreign vessel. Mr. Cowie was very anxious that all should pass off well, as it was very evident that His Highness was very nervous, and foreseeing this possibility, the vessel had been laid alongside the “jimbatan,” or wharf, so that he could step on board and leave without any trouble.
He left just at sundown, appearing very pleased with his visit, and he expressed his intention of again coming on board in the morning, bringing the Sultana with him. The houses on the wharf were crowded towards night with Sulus from all the neighbouring islets, and when the lamps were alight presented a very animated sight to a stranger. The common Sulus are rather intrusive, and the native boatswain would have had much trouble to have kept the ship clear of them had it not been for the dogs on board, four splendid creatures. They were a retriever, two small terriers, and a formidable bull-dog, which Mr. Cowie told me was the best safeguard from the pilfering of natives he had ever invested in during some years of Eastern cruising and coast trade. This hint may be of some service to future explorers—a good bull-dog or a terrier or two would, indeed, be the best of guards to have at one’s camping ground, since it is next to impossible for anyone to approach without their giving due loud-voiced warning.
We went ashore after dinner and found “Peah’s” house filled to overflowing with guests. Room, however, was made for us, and chocolate, biscuits, cigarettes, and gin offered in turn. Incessant talking, varied by gong music, and now and then a melancholy song by one of the court ladies, together with food and drink to all comers, seemed to be the programme. The singing, to our ears, sounded like a dirge—the pentatonic scale being used by these people as by the Malays and Chinese. One young girl after singing part of a ballad relating how a beautiful princess was stolen by pirates and eventually became a Sultan’s bride, “her skin being pale as the jasmine flower, her breath sweet as the areca bloom,” eventually went off in a fainting fit, and had to be carried out into the fresh air. Her place and legend was immediately taken up by another girl, and I was told that the thread of it was so long that several days would be occupied by anyone who should attempt to sing the whole story. Our interpreter, for the nonce, was Datu Mahomed, who is very fond of Europeans. He introduced us to several people of note in the island, and gave us much information which otherwise we could not have obtained. Men and women here met pretty much on a common ground, and were apparently untrammelled by that strict and exclusive etiquette so characteristic of the Bornean Malays. Some of the ladies were very comely and richly dressed, notably the court ladies and the pretty wife of Datu Haroun, the former Sulu governor of Sandakan. This lady spoke Malay well, an accomplishment which few of the Sulu women possess, and we spent a very pleasant quarter of an hour in her company.
The dress of the Sulu women consists of a pair of loose trowsers of white cloth generally, but for holiday times often red, yellow, magenta, or blue silk, and a loose jacket (“baju”) also of silk, often braided down the front, and ornamented with large gold or silver buttons. Over these a long sarong, or petticoat, is worn as a sash, cloak, skirt, or petticoat and belt combined, according to the fancy of its wearer at the time, for to the Sulus and Malays the sarong supplies the place of the dress and bonnet of civilised society here at home. Most of the “sarongs” worn by the ladies I saw to-day were of silk, very richly embroidered with flowers, butterflies, or complicated designs of a foliated pattern, the same on both sides the material, and really producing a beautiful effect. The colours were mainly gaudy and barbaric in splendour, but here and there real taste was evident. One lady wore a buff sarong of very rich texture, with a neatly-worked border in black, while another, in a green and black check or tartan, was especially noticeable. Rings of gold and silver, often richly set with stones and pearls, are worn on the left hand as a rule, but ladies of the highest class have both hands studded with jewelry. Ear ornaments are not so much affected as by the Malays, and although most of the girls have apertures slit in their pretty little ears, these are rarely used for earrings, being, indeed, as often made receptacles for cigarettes as anything else. Ornate cloth or silk kerchiefs and head-dresses of black, yellow, or red, set off their raven tresses to advantage on high days and holidays, and among an assemblage of fully two hundred women, such as we saw here to-day, not two were dressed alike. Yellow is the colour which predominates most, and the amount of chrome which would render a European lady most conspicuous and vulgar, seems only to enhance the dusky charms, bright eyes, and luxuriant hair of these Sulu belles. Only the Sultana and one or two others wore stockings, and slippers were only used by the elite, and to these they seemed a superfluity, since they mostly carried them in their hands. The abundance of hair possessed by these women is a noticeable feature, and they do not dress it so neatly as the Malays, but merely comb it out straight, after which it is loosely knotted up so as to form a mass on the top or one side of the head.