tan, but no
definite answer had been obtained to our demands. On the 6th, however,
it was resolved by our diplomatists that no more time should be wasted
in useless discussion, but that the sultan must be at once brought to
terms; indeed, our own safety demanded it, for the popular feeling was
so much excited, and the people were so indignant at our attempt to
coerce their sultan, that we were in hourly expectation of an attack.

At seven in the evening the party repaired to the audience chamber,
leaving their arms behind them, for they felt that any effort from five
Europeans to defend themselves against so many hundreds, would be
unavailing, and that more would be gained by a show of indifference.
They landed at the platform, and the barge, in which were Lieutenant
Baugh (since dead) and myself, was ordered to lie on her oars abreast of
the audience chamber, and to keep her 6-pounder, in which there was a
fearful dose of grape and canister, pointed at the sultan himself during
the whole of the interview.

It was an anxious time: the audience chamber was filled with hundreds of
armed men, in the midst of whom were five Europeans dictating to their
sultan. The platform outside was crowded with the wild and fearless
Maruts: not a native in the city but was armed to the teeth, and anxious
for the fray.

We, on our parts, were well prepared for fearful vengeance; the barge
was so placed that the assassination of Mr. Brooke and the Europeans
would have been revenged on the first discharge of our gun by the
slaughter of hundreds; and in the main street lay the steamer, with a
spring on her cable, her half ports up, and guns loaded to the muzzle,
awaiting, as by instruction, for the discharge of the gun from the
barge, to follow up the work of death. The platform admitted one of the
steamer's guns to look into the audience chamber, the muzzle was pointed
direct at the sultan, a man held the lighted tow in his hand. Every
European on board had his musket ready loaded, and matters assumed a
serious appearance.

From where I was on the barge, all appeared hushed in the audience room.
I could see the prime minister, Muda, and Bud-ruddeen, as they rose in
turns to speak. I could perceive by the motion of their lips that they
were talking, but not a sound came to our ears. This state of things
lasted about half an hour, and then there was a slight stir, and Mr.
Brooke and his party marched towards us through the crowd of warrio