Chapter IX: 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