soon be made to flow. Someone is keeping an eye on that potential supply.
Jamalal
Kiram II returned from Borneo by the same boat as these two
"holiday-makers," with the wad of money the Borneo Company had handed
him for arrears of tribute money. If he didn't squat that same night
among the big Chinks in a game of fan-tan! Of course they cleaned him
out. He complained to the Governor, who called all the Chinos who had
sat in the game and made them give the Sultan back the money he had
lost. So after that no Chino would ever play with His Highness again.
And he wondered why!
At
about this time I met the American Episcopalian Bishop Brent. He had a
small mission station on the island, but I am not aware that a single
Moro ever became an Episcopalian, although the natives appreciated the
medicaments, the pants and the silver coin which the wealthy American
lady, who came out once a year from the States, distributed among them
out of admiration for the good Bishop. Little did I guess then that
that same divine would later on, during the war, preach at St. Paul's
before the King.
At
one of the receptions given by the philanthropic lady in Jolo I met
real native aristocracy; only an elderly native matron, true, but so
dignified and stately in her bearing that I asked permission through my
interpreter to call on her. She was the wife of Hadji Tahil, one of the
Sultan's trusted councillors. I accordingly took the first opportunity
of calling on the Hadji. My second impression of the lady confirmed the
first. I have not met any duchesses except in books, but if there is a
specific grand manner peculiar to duchesses, then this native matron
displayed it. How much dignified grace and affability was wrapped in
her wrinkled brown skin and how transparent her goodness of heart! I
stayed longer than the regulation time, and still wonder whether she
thought Europeans have very peculiar manners.
This
lady's husband's near kinsman, the Dato of the same name, caused me to
do an act which might have been fraught with grave consequences for me
had the authorities known of
