“Jolly!” said Bob, “capital! I say, though, how hot this place is.”
“Yes,” said the ensign, “the lamp makes it hot; but the window is wide open.”
Bob glanced out into the darkness, to see the dark gleaming leaves, and the bright fire-flies dancing in the air, while right before them lay the smooth river, reflecting the brilliant stars.
“There was no cloth; but it was no end of fun. Mr Sultan is going in for English manners and customs, and he mixes them up with his own most gloriously. By way of ornaments there was a common black japanned cruet-stand, with some trumpery bottles. There was one of those brown earthenware teapots, and an old willow-pattern soup tureen, without cover or stand, but full of flowers. Besides which, there were knives and forks, and spoons, regular cheap Sheffield kitchen ones, and as rusty as an old ring-bolt.”
“Indeed!” said Tom Long.
“I looked at our officers, and they had hard work to keep solemn; and I half expected to see a pound of sausages, and some potatoes in their skins, for the banquet. But wait a bit; those were the English things brought out in compliment to us. Mr Sultan had plenty of things of his own, some of silver, some of gold. He had some beautiful china too; and the feed itself—tlat!” said Bob, smacking his lips. “I wish you had been there.”
“I wish I had,” sighed Tom Long. “Getting well’s worse than being wounded.”
“Never mind; you’ll soon be all right,” continued Bob. “Well, we had some good fish, nicely cooked, and some stunning curry; the best I ever ate; and we had sambals, as they call ’em, with it.”
“What the dickens are sambals?” said Tom Long.
“Well, it’s either pickles or curry, whichever you like to call it,” continued Bob. “These sambals are so many little saucers on a silver tray, and they are to eat with your curry. One had smashed up cocoa-nut in milk; another chillies; another dried shrimps, chutney, green ginger, no end of things of that kind—and jolly good they were! Then we had rice in all sorts of shapes, and some toddy and rice wine, and some sweets of sago, and cocoa-nut and sugar.”