Supplies were scarce, though I saw a great many oxen and cows, some goats, fowls, and ducks; but its being a penal settlement, trade is obstructed and carefully watched to prevent the escape of convicts, and none could come to the ship without a pass. The ponies are very good, except the hacks; the water buffaloes are large, and employed to draw a peculiar sledge along the smooth roads. The chief amusement of the men on Sundays is cock-fighting: crowds assemble to witness this cruel sport; and then they show some money, which at other times appears so scarce that few shops could give change for a dollar. We observed that the rice was trodden out by the buffaloes, on hard beaten ground. Washing was dear, being eleven dollars a hundred. _16th._--Started on our return voyage. Lay-to off a sand-bank not marked in the chart. A grave was found there with four bamboos stuck round, one at each corner, in the midst of thousands of birds, with immense numbers of eggs, some of which were brought off, and proved good eating. I will omit the ground we went over on our return, and give an account of a second visit we paid this archipelago. CHAPTER IX. THE SULU ISLANDS. SECOND VISIT. Reach Sugh--Mr. Wyndham comes on board--His News--Commercial Rivalry--The Stockades--Visit the Audience Hall--Appearance of the Sultan--Visit Datu Daniel’s Stockaded House--Guns--Datu Daniel--Appearance of the principal Chamber--The Bed--Boxes--Property--General look of Discomfort--Spittoons--Dismounted Iron Guns--Taken from the English--Excitement in the Town--Hereditary Hatred of the Sulus to the Spaniards--Their Treaty with Spain--Sandakan Bay--Supplies--Variegated Wood--Salute--English popular--An Exception--Death of a Sulu Lady from Grief--The Rumah Bechara--A Ship taken--Interview with the Sultan--Hope--Character of Datus--The Balignini--Capture an English Ship--Captives brought to Sulu--Result of the Action of the Nemesis--The Lanuns--At Magindanau and Cape Unsang--A narrow Escape--Mate to Lord Cochrane--Capture of the _Maria Frederica_--Cold-blooded Murder of the Captain--Jilolo Prahus--Their Rencontre with Sir Edward Belcher--Pirates off the Arru Group--Sulu Justice--Appearance of the People--Attack on the Spanish Gunboats--Public Audience with the Sultan--Private Visit to the House of his Bride--The Women--Opium-smoking--Invitation to revisit Sulu--The Spanish Gunboats--Samboañgan--The Corner Shop--Sunday’s Amusements--Appearance of the Neighbourhood--A Breakfast in the Country--Long Walks--People comfortable--Story of the Loss and Re-capture of the _Dolphin_--The _Dolphin_ sails for Maludu Bay--Quarrels--Surprised--Death of Mr. Burns and the Captain--Murder of a Woman--Injury to Trade--Datu Badrudin’s Monopolies--The Tungku Pirates--Visit the