The constant appeal to the priest for justification
and the persistence with which this man found
excellent reasons for the King's peculiar methods
was a little discouraging ; but there came an
estrangement. frhe King, accompanied by the
priest and others, visited a neighbouring British
possession, stayed there some days, and at the
moment of his return was faced by a serious
indignity. It appeared that someone in this place
who did not understand the King's peculiarities had,
or thought he had, sold to His Highness a tricycle
and a musical-box for which he could not obtain
payment, and, having ascertained that the King was
going and did not care about the things, this mis-
guided individual somehow obtained a summons
against His Highness to appear before a local
tribunal and answer to the plaint. "~



MALAY SKETCHES

The King, being informed, expressed his extreme
unconcern, and said that, as it was the priest's busi-
ness and his only, he could settle it. The priest
raised the amount necessary to meet the bill, and
the party returned to their own State with the
musical-box and tricycle.
Then " a private pique arose " between King and
Priest as to who should finally pay for these play-
things. For the first time these firm friends
appeared in opposition to each other, and both
parties gave their respective versions of the trans-
action before a highly edified and delighted Council
of Arbitration.
First the King : He knew nothing of any musical-
box, did not like musical-boxes, had no ear for
music, and did not understand the discordant
noises made by these inventions of the white man.
