o say.

Seraib Yussef, who was inimical to the English, expressed his
disapprobation of their demands in very strong terms: as for the sultan,
he had very little to say. As it appeared that there was no chance of
our demands being complied with without coercion, the conference was
broken up by our principals pointing to the steamer, which lay within
pistol-shot of the palace, and reminding the sultan and the ministers
that a few broadsides would destroy the town. Having made this
observation, we all rose to take our departure, stating that we would
wait for an answer to our demands upon the following day. Our situation
was rather critical, only eight Europeans among hundreds of armed
natives taking their sultan in this manner by the beard, when, at a
signal from him, we might have all been despatched in a moment. More
than one chief had his hand upon his kris as we stalked through a
passage left for us out of the audience chamber; but whatever may have
been their wishes, they did not venture further without authority. On
reaching the platform outside, a very strange sight presented itself.
With the exception of a lane left for our passage to the boat, the whole
space was covered with naked savages. These were the Maruts, a tribe of
Dyaks who live in the mountains. The word marut signifies brave. These
naked gentlemen, who are very partial to the sultan, had come down from
the mountains to render assistance in case of hostility on our part.
They were splendidly framed men, but very plain in person, with the long
matted hair falling over their shoulders. They were armed with long
knives and shields, which they brandished in a very warlike manner,
occasionally giving a loud yell. They certainly appeared very anxious to
begin work; and I fully expected we should have had to draw and defend
ourselves. I was not sorry, therefore, when I found myself once more in
the stern sheets of the barge, with our brass six-pounder loaded with
grape, pointed towards them. The poor fellows little knew the effect of
a shower of grape-shot, or they would not have been so anxious for a
"turn-up."

The sultan had offered a house for the accommodation of the Europeans
during our stay at Bruni. It was a small wooden building over the water
and resting upon piles. It communicated by a platform with the Mahomedan
mosque, which was built of brick and of tolerable dimensions. The
interior of this mosque had no other furniture in it except a sort of