, and to their great
astonishment, and probably to that of the native, called out in the
Malay tongue,--

"Which is the way to the sultan's house?"

To Sir Samuel's unspeakable delight, the man whom he addressed
understood him, and after offering to show us the landing-place,
paddled off ahead of us. Our fellows gave way as hard as they could,
but the Malay kept the lead; and as we shot past the Chinese towns,
one on each bank, the natives crowded to the beach, as much
astonished, no doubt, with our strange cocked hats, swords, and
oddly-shaped boat, as we could be with their long tails and
wild-looking junks, or with the creases which every Malay carries by
his side. This fierce-looking weapon is not, in form, unlike the
waving sword one sees in the pictures of the angel Michael, though it
is not above a foot and a-half in length.

The sultan's cousin received the Admiral and his party at the gate of
the palace, and led him by the hand along a causeway of flag-stones to
the residence of the monarch. Directly in the middle of the gateway,
which was only ten feet wide and about as many in height, there stood
a twenty-four-pounder gun. On the top of the arch there was built a
small square room, from holes in which peeped out the muzzles of five
or six field-pieces, the whole affair resembling very much that part
of a child's box of toys which represents the stronghold or castle.
Within the high wall surrounding the palace we counted innumerable
large guns scattered about, apparently with no other object than to be
seen, as if the mere look of a cannon were expected to do the work of
a fight! The same number of mock barrels of gunpowder, similarly
disposed, would have answered the purpose equally well, or perhaps
better; for there appeared no way in which the guns could be fired,
without doing much more injury to the besieged than to the besiegers.

On we went, till we were met by the sultan himself, at the inner side
of the quadrangle. He courteously conducted the Admiral to a large
room or hall of audience, and, having begged his guest to sit down at
a small table, took a chair by his side, and began a conversation as
if they had been long acquainted. Of course, in spite of the Admiral's
proficiency, this could not be accomplished without an interpreter;
and the services of a very clever Malay boy, whom we had brought with
us from the ship, were brought into requisition. The hall, in which we
were first received, mi