cter of the people too was
enlarged upon, their pride and self-esteem; and strict orders were
given, to be followed by severe punishment if disobeyed, that the people
and their belongings were to be treated with the greatest respect.

Every one was as busy as could be, for there was an immense amount of
labour necessary to get the place into a state satisfactory to the
various officers. Great preparations were being made too for the first
meeting with Sultan Hamet, though it was a matter of doubt whether he
would come to the residency in state, or expect the English to call upon
him in his palm-thatched palace.

"He's a rum sort of a chap," Dick the sailor said, freely giving his
opinion. "Sultan, indeed! What call have they to say he's a sultan?
Why, Sergeant Lund, Billy Mustard, and that sick chap Sim, who went
ashore with despatches, come back last night, and they say it's no more
a palace as he lives in than a pig-sty. It's for all the world like a
big bamboo barn, thatched with leaves."

"What's that?" said Bob Roberts, coming up, with the young ensign, to
where two or three of the sailors were, under the trees, talking to a
group of soldiers.

"I was a telling of 'em about what Sergeant Lund told me, sir," said
Dick, pulling his forelock, "that this here sultan as we've come here to
protect lives in a place as is just like a big bamboo barn standing on
stilts. And Lor' ha' mercy, they say it was a sight: with leaves, and
cabbage stumps, and potato parings chucked about under the place!"

"Now come, Dick," cried the middy; "no yarns, please."

"Well sir, of course I don't mean real English cabbage stumps and potato
parings, same as we has at home, but what answers for 'em here, and
coky-nut huxes and shells, and banana rinds, and a nasty bad smelling
kind o' fruit as they calls doorings."

Bob gave the ensign a comical look.

"Why Billy Mustard says--and this here's a fack--as the smell o' them
doorings."

"Durians, Dick."

"All right, sir," said the old sailor; "that don't make 'em smell a bit
better--the smell o' them things knocked him slap off his feet."

The men laughed, and old Dick went on--

"Everything about the place was as ontidy as a bilge hole; and when our
ambassadors--"

"Our what?" said Bob.

"Well, them as carried the despatches, sir--got close up, they was told
to wait because the sultan was asleep. When seeing as a reg'lar party
of the Malays, every man with his bit of a t