Part 18 (1/2)
I had forgotten the rubies, but I stipulated that the disposal of thely, Peter,” replied Hartog, ”for, between ourselves, I doubt not I aain with land-rogues ashore Take you command of the shi+p until she is once h I had no intention of depriving Hartog of his authority, and, after breakfast, I landed with a boat's crew, in order to interview the islanders, and, if possible, to ements with some of them for the equipment of our vessel
Achin, the metropolis of Sumatra, is situated at the north-west end of the island It stands on a plain, surrounded by woods and marshes, about five miles distant from the sea, near to a pleasant rivulet The city consists of soround than a city of this size would de with a palisade that stands soeneral, small, and of very swarthy coh check-bones
Their hair is long and black, and they take great pains to dye their teeth black They also besmear their bodies with oil, as do the natives of other hot countries, to protect the by insects, while they let their nails grow exceedingly long, scraping the the only a small piece of cloth round the waist, and a piece of linen about the head, or a capthe crown of a hat The richer sort hite breeches to above the knee, and a piece of calico, or silk, wrapped round their loins and thrown over the left shoulder Soed and bare-bodied fro the to so, I found I was able to h imperfectly, as said to me The Sumatrans are a very indolent race of people, which accounted for the small interest they took in the arrival of our shi+p, none thinking it worth while to co us
When I explained thatI was directed to the house of an Arab named Mahomet Achmet, a carpenter and shi+p chandler, if such he could be called, who traded with vessels visiting the island, and dealt with the Mahomet, like all the inhabitants of Sue, but we occasionally helped each other with Spanish or Dutch words, of which he had acquired theby his intercourse with crews of these nationalities When I told hi, he seemed to consider my request unreasonable There were ood ones too, reat store by them, since they had con vessel which had attempted to raid the island and take by force what could only honestly be obtained by trade OnMahomet turned up his eyes with an exclaners were per, he said It was death to enter without per lived But when I produced one of ainst my proposed visit
”It is for these toys that I would trade with the king,” I said to hiht in order that helikes well,” answered Ach, and ask if he will receive you”
”Nay, Achmet,” I answered, ”I will not part withhimself Send, therefore, and tell hies to handle”
I could now see that Mahomet Ached hi's knowledge he would doubtless suffer for having taken the law into his own hands Finally he consented to send athat not only would I pay hiht supply us with, but that if all ell I would present him with a ruby of equal value to that which I had shown hier was absent on his arding his Malayan Majesty The king, he said, owned a large nunificent trappings He was at no expense in tied to march at their own expense, and to carry with them provisions for threeand that of his household cost hi, for his subjects supplied him with all kinds of provisions He was, besides, heir to all those of his people who died without ners who died within his territories, while he succeeded to the property of all those ere put to death for offences against the law
From this it will be seen that the revenue of this prince is very considerable, and that he is personally interested in the death of foreigners within his kingdom, whether from natural causes or in the execution of the law, of which he is the sole arbiter
CHAPTER XLVII
KING TRINKITAT
The space of an hour had barely elapsed since the sending of theht me that his Majesty desired my attendance at the palace forthwith, so I made ready to accouard
The king's palace stands in theoval in shape, and about a half-mile in circumference, surrounded by a moat twenty-five feet broad, and as reat heaps of earth instead of a wall, planted with reeds and canes that grow to a prodigious height and thickness These reeds are continually green, so that there is no danger of fire There is no ditch or drawbridge before the gates leading to the palace, but, on each side, a wall of stone, about ten feet high, that supports a terrace on which soh the middle of the palace, which is lined with stone, and has steps down to the bottoates and as many courts to be passed before we came to the royal apart's azines of rifles and cannon Here also are stalls for the king's elephants In the king's azines are to be found nuuards consist of a thousand th is in his elephants, which are trained to trample upon fire, and to stand unmoved at the report of artillery
When we came to the inner courts, beyond which were the apartuard halted, and Maho's presence unattended
We found his Majesty seated on a divan surrounded by his numerous wives and slaves, to the nu received us was a very large one,a courtyard than a roo seeed to be about forty years old, but his attendants were all young, some of them scarcely more than children
All were attired in the same manner, so that it was difficult to tell their sex, with short white breeches to above the knee, silken scarves of various colours wrapped round their waists, the end being thrown over the left shoulder, and white turbans upon their heads, into which their long hair was gathered Soain jet-black All had been rubbed with oil so that their skins glistened like polishedin silent groups, like so many statues
Maho's presence, as is thelow as I approached the divan upon which his Majesty sat, very gorgeously dressed in red and blue silk robes eons, which I concluded he had obtained from China Upon his head he wore a white turban with a jewelled aigrette of great value His countenance was intellectual, and his expression shrewd
King Trinkitat received raciously, and ordered a stool to be placed near to the divan so that I ht sit and converse with him upon the matter in hand When I showed him some of my rubies he at once said, ”These co him how he had arrived at this conclusion, he answered that some of his people visited annually the South Land to trade with the natives, and had reported a white ruler there areat quantity of valuable jewels, which he would not part with for e for certain cooverned the most powerful upon the Southern Continent
”What is the name of this white chief, your Majesty?” I asked, deeply interested
”King Luck,” answered Trinkitat; ”but I thought you ca,” I replied ”These rubies are uarded by serpents If they are honestly acquired they bring great happiness to those who possess the a curse upon the robbers, and upon the land in which they dwell and all the people who inhabit it”