CHAPTER IX

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THE SULU ISLANDS.

SECOND VISIT.

Reach Sugh--Mr. Wyndham comes on board--His News--Commercial Rivalry--The Stockades--Visit the Audience Hall--Appearance of the Sultan--Visit Datu Daniel’s Stockaded House--Guns--Datu Daniel--Appearance of the principal Chamber--The Bed--Boxes--Property--General look of Discomfort--Spittoons--Dismounted Iron Guns--Taken from the English--Excitement in the Town--Hereditary Hatred of the Sulus to the Spaniards--Their Treaty with Spain--Sandakan Bay--Supplies--Variegated Wood--Salute--English popular--An Exception--Death of a Sulu Lady from Grief--The Rumah Bechara--A Ship taken--Interview with the Sultan--Rope--Character of Datus--The Balignini--Capture an English Ship--Captives brought to Sulu--Result of the Action of the Nemesis--The Lanuns--At Magindanau and Cape Unsang--A narrow Escape--Mate to Lord Cochrane--Capture of the _Maria Frederica_--Cold-blooded Murder of the Captain--Jilolo Prahus--Their Rencontre with Sir Edward Belcher--Pirates off the Arru Group--Sulu Justice--Appearance of the People--Attack on the Spanish Gunboats--Public Audience with the Sultan--Private Visit to the House of his Bride--The Women--Opium-smoking--Invitation to revisit Sulu--The Spanish Gunboats--Samboañgan--The Corner Shop--Sunday’s Amusements--Appearance of the Neighbourhood--A Breakfast in the Country--Long Walks--People comfortable--Story of the Loss and Re-capture of the _Dolphin_--The _Dolphin_ sails for Maludu Bay--Quarrels--Surprised--Death of Mr. Burns and the Captain--Murder of a Woman--Injury to Trade--Datu Badrudin’s Monopolies--The Tungku Pirates--Visit the chief Town of Maludu--Sherif Hasin’s Account of the Surprise of the _Dolphin_--The Re-capture of the Vessel by Sherif Yasin--Arrival at Benggaya--_Dolphin_ delivered up--Visit the Village of Sherif Yasin--His Appearance--His Account of the Re-capture--His Position--Smoking over Powder--Delivery of the Cargo--Return to the Ship--Argus Pheasants--Meet with Baju Boats--Pearl Fishers--Retaliation--Fishing for Pearls--Mr. Edwardes’ Pearl--Story of the Datu, and his great good Fortune--The Mermaid Pearl--Present State of Piracy on the North-West Coast--Cruise of the Balignini in 1861--Ransom of Inchi Ngah--Names of present Haunts of the Balignini--A Mangrove Swamp--Present System of Balignini--Escape of a Native--The Lanuns--A Dayak’s Experience--A Slave Mart--Spanish Attack on Sugh--Severe Fight--Bravery of the Sulus--Capture of the Town--The Sulu Government retire to the Hills, and refuse to submit--A Teak Forest burnt--No Teak in Borneo--Elephants extinct in Sulu 200

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