re
a very indolent race of people, which accounted for the small interest
they took in the arrival of our ship, none thinking it worth while to
come aboard, or to make any inquiry concerning us.

When I explained that my business was to obtain new masts and rigging I
was directed to the house of an Arab named Mahomet Achmet, a carpenter
and ship chandler, if such he could be called, who traded with vessels
visiting the island, and dealt with them in the matter of repairs or
refitting. Mahomet, like all the inhabitants of Sumatra, spoke the
Malayan language, but we occasionally helped each other with Spanish or
Dutch words, of which he had acquired the meaning by his intercourse
with crews of these nationalities. When I told him we required masts as
well as rigging, he seemed to consider my request unreasonable. There
were masts on the island, he said, good ones too, made of beech, but
they belonged to the king, who set great store by them, since they had
come to him as the result of a victory by the fort over a foreign
vessel which had attempted to raid the island and take by force what
could only honestly be obtained by trade. On my asking to see the king
Mahomet turned up his eyes with an exclamation of astonishment at my
audacity. No foreigners were permitted to see the king, he said. It was
death to enter without permission the inner apartments of the palace
where the king lived. But when I produced one of my rubies he became
less demonstrative in his protestations against my proposed visit.

"It is for these toys that I would trade with the king," I said to him,
as I held up the red crystal to the light in order that he might see it
better.

"Such toys the king likes well," answered Achmet. "Give it me, and I
will send it to the king, and ask if he will receive you."

"Nay, Achmet," I answered, "I will not part with my jewels save only to
the king himself. Send, therefore, and tell him that a rich merchant
from the East is here to trade for gems such as are only fit for kings
to handle."

I could now see that Mahomet Achmet was on the horns of a dilemma. His
natural cupidity urged him to rob me of my jewels, but should this come
to the king's knowledge he would doubtless suffer for having taken the
law into his own hands. Finally he consented to send a message to the
king on my promising that not only would I pay him liberally for such
ship-chandlery as he might supply us with, but that if all went well I
wou