Mr. Wyndham said that Sandakan Bay is exceedingly unhealthy, and that the whole eastern coast bears the same character during the south-west monsoon; but nearly every tropical place is insalubrious until cleared and drained. Sandakan is reported to be one of the noblest harbours in the world, perfectly sheltered, with eight fathoms of water. Innumerable boats came around the steamer with vegetables, cocoa-nuts, eggs, fowls, fruit, krises, Sulu knives, Dutch 32-pounder shot, cattle, and excellent fish, particularly the red mullet; eggs on the whole very good; mangoes and plantains; but krises of indifferent quality; the Sulu knives, of very peculiar shape, are mostly made in China for this market; a tolerable one, with a sheath of clouded wood, and a handle with an Arabic inscription, I tried to buy, but they asked too much for it. The upper portion of the sheath was of the Kayu Kamuning, a beautiful wood from the island of Magindanau, which, if it could be obtained of large size, would be invaluable for furniture; but the natives said it was only the knots of the trees which were beautifully marked.
At one, we saluted the sultan with twenty-one guns. The echo seemed to commence at the first hill, and gradually, now with a deeper, then with a lighter sound, rolled round over the whole circle of hills and valleys. The sultan returned the salute from his various stockades.
The English appear very popular in Sulu, their only enemy being datu Boyak, the rajah Mudu, who was away. He felt aggrieved with the English on account of Sir Thomas Cochrane’s attack on Maludu Bay. His sister had married sherif Usman, its chief, who, during the fight, was shot in the stomach with grape, as he, being one of those whom they deem invulnerable, exposed himself to every fire, and fought to the last. His wife was inconsolable for his loss, refused to return to Sulu, retired into the country, fell ill, and died. Her brother keeps this as a sort of canker in his bosom. The way these men prepare themselves to be invulnerable is different from that practised in Sarawak: here they rub their whole bodies with some preparation of mercury.
I asked Mr. Wyndham about the Rumah Bechara, or House of Discussion, mentioned by the American navigator Wilkes, but he said it was a mistake: there was no other council than the general one of the datus.
A Madras sailor, a British subject, coming on board, told us the following story:—That seven years ago he left Batavia in the Andrew,[10] captain and mate European, the crew twenty-five Lascars. The Lanuns attacked and took the vessel, killed the Europeans, cleared the valuables out, skuttled the ship, and carrying the crew off, sold them for slaves.
At three, we started in the gig and cutter to have an interview with the sultan. In comparison with the former visit, but few people were collected. I found that the musjid is situated within the first stockade, and the sultan’s hall in the second. Only thirty people were present; but as soon as we had entered, the place was crammed with new arrivals; the only difference we observed was that, except the sultan, none had on their state robes. They no longer thought it necessary to meet in form, but were more friendly and familiar. We conversed with the sultan, Molok, and Daniel, for some time on general subjects, and they again eagerly asked questions about Europe, particularly about France, whether affairs there were settled.
After arranging some business matters, we left and returned to the ship. We have always a crowd of canoes around the steamer with articles for sale; among others, rope made here, which appears of excellent quality, and cheap, some twenty coils being offered for a dollar. The hemp grows like the plantain, and is of about the same size and appearance, and is said to be of the same species.
Marriages are here conducted in the usual Muslim fashion, and the wives have great influence over the proceedings of their husband. In the evening, our native secretary came on board, and after explaining what had occurred after we had left, told me he considered datu Molok to be clever; datu Daniel, good-natured, though not brilliant; and that the sultan had much ability, but was generally stupefied with opium; and from what I have seen and heard, I think his judgment in all these cases correct.
About eight p.m., Mr. Wyndham came, and we had a long discussion. He is well acquainted with these seas, and could give much information on eastern politics. He told us that before the attack of the Spaniards on the Balignini, the pirates could muster above a hundred and fifty boats of a large size, containing from thirty to fifty men each; that, taking the average at forty, they numbered altogether about 6,000 men. But besides their large war-boats, they had innumerable smaller ones, used for the capture of trading and fishing-boats. He had seen many of the pirate prahus of considerable size enter Sugh harbour.
As an instance of the damage they did to commerce, he mentioned the following. Six years previously, the Sarah and Elizabeth, brig, anchored off Timor; and requiring wood, the captain sent three boats on shore to cut it, giving the men only their axes, and refusing fire-arms. They had not been there long, when three Balignini prahus passing that way, saw the ship’s boats drawn up on the beach, and immediately landed their crews to capture the men, in order to put them to ransom, as they are not like the Lanuns, who nearly always put their European prisoners to death. They first met the chief mate, who defended himself with his axe, until knocked down with a billet and bound. The other mate and a boy were also taken, but the men escaped into the jungle.