The record-union., 1896-05-10
A BATH OF BLOOD.
How the Sultan Ahmad Kept His
Vow

1t might have happened in the Ara
bian Nights" but as a fact it took place
at Pahang only two months ago.
Tungku Long, beloved daughter of the
Sultan by his more beloved wife Tungku
Ampuan (of whose charms we have all
heard, of course), was held in bondage
by his majesty of Trengganu We
really cannot say how the young lady
eot into the clutches of the Sultan of
Trengganu, because we have neglected
Malaysian politics of late. But the
point is quite immaterial The thing is
that the lady was virtually in prison
Her father, consequent upon this
shame, swore two things. He would ut
terly annihilate Trengganu if only his
hands were not tied behind the aegis of
British protection and, any way. he
would, if his daughter came back to
him sound in body and limb, give a
great feast to many hundreds of Ma
lays, and would moreover slaughter
several bullocks, in whose blood the
lady should be bathed. Now, when the
poorest Malay ma keS a vow of this sort
he calls it menyaat, registers it before
the high priest, and keeps it. Should a
Sultan do less? Not if he would be re-
warded in the hereafter. So when the
man at Trengganu released Tungku
Long, and the young lady returned with
pomp to the ancestral home her papa
proceeded straightway to fulfill his VOW
Malays from upstream and down
stream, Malays rich and poor were in
vited to the palace of Sultan Ahmad,
on an auspicious day-Jemaat-chosen
after long consultation with the oracles
The number Of guests was not far short
OF LOCO. and they were treated quite
| in accordance with the hospitable rep
utation of this monarch.
| There We're six bullocks (whose blood
was to be used in the crowning cere-
| mony), and uncounted goats, geese.
| ducks and fowls, with fruits unheard
| of in the West, and strange drinks,
guaranteed to make you drunk in ten
| minutes.a The bullocks We're the piece
de resistance, and followed the dessert.
| Being part of the sacrifice, as it were,
they were dispatched with honors in
| the presence of the assembled guests.
They were lashed together two and two,
neck and neck. Their jugulars were
severed by a silver krise-a charming.
wavy sort of weapon-and every drop
yer caldron; a necessary appurtenance
| to every self-respeeting Sultan's men
age, though only used ON ceremonial oc-
| casions Perfumed water was added
a discretion, and in order to reduce the
! fluid to a reasonably thin consistency.
| Then the caldrOn was removed under
| the direction of the inevitable priests
to the palace itself. The Sultan pre-
ceded it, and his guests followed it,
chanting weird melodies to accompa-
niment of barbarous noises played on
| barbarous instruments. High on a
| throne of regal state which was erected
on a dias sat Tunku Long. resplendent
in beauty (of the high-cheeked- -boned
Variety, gold, precious stones and gor-
| geous silks, and surrounded by fifty
chosen maidens, all vying with each
| to show off to the best advantage their
| faces and figures and fine raiments, and
attended by an equal number of the To-
cal nobility clothed in choicest silks and
armed with gold and silver hilted
krises. Over the costly and beautiful
garments worn by the Princess, and
over her head decked with jewels, the
diluted blood of the bullocks was
poured by the attendants till the cal
was removed to another apartment
| where, we understand, she took the
taste of the blood away by another bath
of perfumed water alone-London
Standard.