"But," answered the King, "it might involve his death."
"If he dies," replied the minister, "my name shall be no longer
Toukang."
"Give a family fête for your son Sultan Ahmed. We will invite Sultan
Melik-el-Mansour to the festival."
Sultan Melik-ed-Dhahir gave orders then to decorate the city and made
preparations for the fete, and sent to find Sultan Melik-el-Mansour.
This prince was with Sidi Ali Asmai-ed-Din and his officers. They
introduced the prince and his minister, but left the officers outside.
When they had entered, Sultan Melik-ed-Dhahir caused them both to be
seized and ordered one of his officers to conduct his brother to
Mandjang. "As for you," he said to Sidi Ali, "stay here. Do not try to
go with your master or I'll cut off your head."
Sidi Ali answered: "Rather let my head be separated from my body than
that the servant should be separated from his master."
So the King had his head cut off. The head was thrown into the sea and
the body impaled at the entrance to the Bay of Pasey. While they were
taking the Sultan Melik-el-Mansour toward the east in a _prabo_, at the
moment when they arrived near Djambou Ayer, the pilot saw a human head
floating in the water near the rudder. He recognized the head of Sidi
Ali. Informed of this event, Sultan Melik-el-Mansour caused the head to
be taken from the water. It was indeed that of his minister. Casting
his glances toward the land: "Behold," he said, "the Plain of
Illusions." And it bears that name, "Padang-Maya," to this day. The
prince sent to his brother and demanded the body of Sidi Ali; joined
the head with the body, and buried both in the Plain of Illusion. Then
he went back to Mandjang.
After the departure of the Sultan Melik-el-Mansour, King Melik-ed-
Dhahir had the family festival. The Sultan Melik-el-Mansour had been at
Mandjang three years when the Sultan Melik-ed-Dhahir bethought him of
his brother.
"Alas," he said, "I was truly too unwise. For a woman my brother
dethroned, and his minister is dead."
And the prince repented. He ordered some of his officers to go and find
his brother at Mandjang. They therefore brought back Sultan Melik-el-
Mansour with the regard due to a king. When they arrived near the Plain
of Maya, the prince landed to visit the tomb of Sidi Ali Asmai-ed-Din.
"I salute you, my father," he said. "Stay here, my father. As for me I
go away, called by my brother."
From the interior of the tomb Sidi Ali answered: "Where would the
prince go? It is better to remain here."
When the prince heard these words, he made his ablutions, said a couple
of prayers, then stretched himself upon the tomb and expired. They bore
to Sultan Melik-ed-Dhahir the news that his brother was dead, in the
Plain of Maya, in the tomb of Sidi Ali Asmai-ed-Din. He started at
once, went to the place, and had his brother, Sultan Melik-el-Mansour,
buried with the ceremonies of great kings. Then, after returning to
Pasey, a prey to grief, he abdicated the throne in favor of his son,
Sultan Ahmed.
Some time after this, Sultan Melik-ed-Dhahir fell ill. He gave Sultan
Ahmed his last instructions. "O my son," said he, "light of my eyes,
treasure of my heart, never neglect the advice of your old servitors.
In every affair take counsel with your ministers. Neglect not the
duties of piety to God, the sovereign Master. Beware of injustice to
men."
Sultan Ahmed heard in tears the last words of his father. The prince
died, and they buried him near the mosque.
Sultan Ahmed was for many years on the throne and governed with much
justice. Now, the author of this story says: "There was at Pasey a
servant of God named Toun Djana Khatite. This man made the voyage to
Singapore with two companions. Crossing the square of Singapore he
passed by the palace of the King and saw the Queen. Near the palace was
an areca tree, and while Toun Djana was looking at the Queen the tree
split in two. At sight of this, King Sri Maharadja was extremely
irritated. 'You see,' he cried, 'the conduct of Toun Djana Khatite. To
call the attention of the Queen, he has acted thus. And he ordered him
to be killed. So Toun Djana was led to the place of punishment, near a
cake-shop, where Toun Djana Khatite received the blow of the poniard;
his blood ran on the earth, but his body disappeared and no one could
ever tell what became of it. The cake-shop-keeper covered the blood
with the cake-cover, and the cake-cover was changed into stone, which
is still seen at Singapore. According to a tradition, the body of Toun
Djana Khatite was transported to Langkaoui and there buried."
Some time later came the sea-monsters called _toudaks_ and attacked
Singapore. They leaped upon the shore, and people who were there died
in great numbers, overtaken by these _toudaks_. If they struck a man on
the breast, they pierced to his back. If they struck the neck or the
loins, they pierced clear through from one side to the other. There
were many killed. People ran about crying:
"The _toudaks_ are attacking us!"
"What shall we do?"
"How many dead? We shall all perish!"
Padouka Sri Maharadja in great haste mounts the elephant and goes
forth, followed by his ministers, his body-guards, and all his
officers. Arriving at the seashore he sees with horror the work of
these monsters, the _toudaks_. Whoever was wounded by them inevitably
perished. The number of the victims became larger and larger. The
prince ordered the men to make a rampart of their legs, but in their
boundings the _toudaks_ succeeded in passing this barrier. They came
like the rain, and the slaughter was terrible. While this was happening
a young boy said:
"Why make thus a rampart of our legs? That is an artifice very much to
our hurt. If we should make a rampart of the trunks of banana-trees,
would not that be better?"
When Padouka Sri Maharadja heard the words of the child, "He is right,"
he said. And on his orders they hastened to construct a barrier of
banana-tree trunks. When the _toudaks_ came bounding along their snouts
were buried in the tree-trunks, and the men ran up and killed them.
There perished thus of these _toudaks_ a number beyond computation.
Their bodies formed heaps on the shore, and all the population of
Singapore did not suffice to eat them. And the _toudaks_ ceased their
leapings. They say, by the force of their boundings the _toudaks_
reached the elephant of the prince and tore the sleeve of his cloak.
About this they made a song:
"The boundings of the _toudaks_ tore
The mantle which the Sultan wore,
But here they ceased their onset wild,
Thanks to the wisdom of a child."
While Padouka Sri Maharadja was returning, the grandees said to him:
"Lord, this child, though so young, has much wit. What will it be when
he has grown up? You had better get rid of him." That is why they found
it just that the King should give the order for him to be killed.
After they had caused this young boy to perish, it seems that the city
of Singapore felt the weight of his blood.
Padouka Sri Maharadja reigned some time still and then died. He had as
successor his son Padja Is Keuder Chah, who married the daughter of
Toun Parapatih Toulous, and by her had a son named Radja Ahmed Timang-
timanganga Radja Besar Mouda. This young prince was handsome and well
formed, without equal in those days. When he was of age his father
married him to the daughter of the King Salamiam, King of Kota-
Mahlikie, who was named Kamar-al-Adjaaib, a princess of unrivalled
beauty. King Is Keuder Chah had a _bendahari_, or major-domo, named
Lang Radjouna Tapa, of the race of ancient inhabitants of Singapore,
father of a very beautiful girl in the court of the King. The other
court ladies calumniated this young woman, and the King in a rage
ordered her to be impaled in the corner of the marketplace.
Lang Radjouna Tapa was extremely wounded by the treatment of his
daughter. "If in truth my daughter had offended," said he, "you might
have simply had her killed. But why dishonor us thus?" On this he wrote
a letter to Java saying, "If the Batara of Madjapahit wishes to attack
Singapore let him come at once, for I will give him entrance into the
fortifications."
When the Batara of Madjapahit had read this letter he caused to be
equipped 300 junks and a great quantity of other boats. A hundred
thousand Javanese embarked, crossed the sea, and attacked Singapore. At
the end of several days King Is Keuder commanded his major-domo to
carry rice for the rations of the troops. Lang Radjouna Tapa answered,
"There is no more, my Lord." For he wished to betray him. At daybreak
he opened the gates of the fortifications and the Javanese entered.
Inside the town there was a frantic combat. So many people were killed
on each side that blood flowed like water. From this came the marks of
blood which are seen to this day in the Plain of Singapore. The natives
ceased their struggle and King Is Keuder escaped, descending from
Salitar to the Moara coast. By the will of God, the house of Lang
Radjouna Tapa was overturned, the storehouse for rice fell to pieces,
and the rice was changed to earth. The _bendahari_ himself and his wife
were changed to stone, and these stones are still found in the ditch at
Singapore. After this victory the Javanese returned to Madjapahit.
On arriving at Moara, King Is Keuder halted at nightfall. Now there
came a multitude of iguanas, and, when day dawned they saw them
gathered in a crowd near the halting-place. They killed them and threw
their bodies into the river. But at night, iguanas again came in mass.
The next morning the Singaporeans killed them, but that night as many
more arrived. So that the place became putrid from the multitude of
their bodies. The quarter is still called Biaoak Bousok, or "Putrid
Iguanas."
King Is Keuder Chah set out and came to another place, where he built a
fort. But all they constructed by day was overturned by night. And the
place still bears the name of Kota-Bourok, or "Ruined Fort."
Starting from there the King advanced into the interior during many
days and came to the Saning Oudjong. He found this place agreeable and
left a minister there. Hence comes it that to this day Saning Oudjong
is the residence of a minister. Then the King returned toward the coast
near a river at the shore of the sea. The river was called Bartain. Is
Keuder Chah halted at the foot of a very bushy tree. Then he began
hunting. His dog, chasing some game, was struck by the foot of a little
white gazelle and fell into the water. On this the prince cried:
"Here is a good place to build a city, for even the little gazelles are
valiant here."
And all the grandees said, "His Majesty is right." The King therefore
gave orders for the construction of a city at this place. He asked,
"What is the name of this tree against which I have been leaning?"
Someone answered, "It is a malaka-tree." "Very well," said he, "let
Malaka be the name of the city."
The prince established himself at Malaka. He had lived thirty-two years
at Singapore, up to the capture of that town by the Javanese. He lived
for three years more at Malaka, and then died, by the vicissitudes of
this world, and had as successor his son Radja Besar Mouda.
This prince governed with justice. He regulated the etiquette of the
court. He first established a ministry of ceremonies to direct people
who came to Balerong, and forty heralds who stood below the throne
ready to take the orders of the King and carry to him the words of the
public. He instituted among the sons of the grandees a body of pages
serving as royal messengers and bearing everywhere the royal equipage.
This prince had three sons, Radeu Bagousa, Radeu Tengah, and Radeu
Anoumah, who all married daughters of Bauhara Toun Parapatih Toulous.
At his death, Radeu Bagousa took his functions with the title of Toun
Parapatih Permouka Berdjadjar.
When, by the vicissitudes of the world, King Besar Mouda died, his son
Radeu Tengah succeeded him. The latter had a son called Radja Kitchil
Bessar, who at his death was his successor. He was just and guarded the
interests of his subjects. No one in his time among the kings of the
world equalled him in liberality. And the city of Malaka became large,
well peopled, and the meeting-place of merchants. This King married a
daughter of Toun Parapatih Permouka Berdjadjar, and by her had two
sons, Radja Kitchil Mainbang and Radja Makat. He reigned for a certain
time, when one night he dreamed that he was in the presence of the
glorious prophet of God, on whom be blessings! And the prophet said to
him, "Recite the words of the creed." And Radja Kitchil Bessar did as
the prophet commanded.
"Your name shall be Sultan Mahomet," said the prophet. "To-morrow at
the moment of the Asr (in the afternoon) there will arrive a ship from
Djedda, from which the men will descend to pray on the shore of Malaka.
Follow all their orders."
"Yes, Lord," replied the prince, "I shall obey your word."
And the prophet disappeared. When day came the King awaked. He
perceived upon his body the odor of spikenard and saw that he bore
certain marks. "It is clear," he thought, "that my dream does not come
from Satan." And he began to recite without relaxation the words of the
creed.
The ladies-of-honor who were in the palace were very much surprised to
hear the King speak thus. "Has the King been touched by Satan, or has
he lost his wits? Let us hasten to inform the _bendahari_." They ran to
tell the _bendahari,_ who came at once, entered the palace, and saw the
King repeating without cessation the words of the creed.
"What is this language in which the King is speaking?" said the
minister.
"Last night," said the King, "I dreamed that I was in the presence of
the glorious prophet." And he told his dream to the _bendahari_.
"If your dream is not an illusion," said the latter, "what is the
sign?"
"Here is the sign that proves that I have really seen in a dream the
prophet of God. Furthermore, the prophet told me: 'To-day, at Asr,
there will arrive a ship from Djedda, from which the people will
descend to say their prayers on the shore of Malaka. Follow their
directions.'"
The _bendahari_ was surprised at seeing the marks on the King.
"Truly," he said, "if a ship arrives at the hour stated, then your
dream is a reality. If it does not arrive, we shall judge that Satan
must have troubled your spirit."
The King replied, "My father is right." And the _bendahari_ returned to
his house.
Now at the hour of Asr there arrived a ship from Djedda which cast
anchor. The master came on shore. He was called Sidi Abd-el-Aziz. He
said his prayers on the shore of Malaka. The inhabitants, astonished at
the sight, said:
"Why does he stoop so and prostrate himself so?"
And to see him better, the people pressed around, leaving no spot
vacant, and making a great tumult.
The noise reached the palace, and the King mounted an elephant and came
in haste, accompanied by his grandees. He saw the master making all the
ceremonies of his prayer, and all was in evident accord with the dream.
"It is exactly as in my dream," he exclaimed to the _bendahari_ and the
grandees.
When the master had finished praying, the King made his elephant stoop,
and took up the master with him and carried him to the palace. The
_bendahari_ and the grandees all became Mussulmans, and by command of
the King so did all the population, men and women, great and small,
young and old. The master taught the King the ceremonies of prayer, and
gave him the name of Sultan Mahomet Chah. The _bendahari_ received the
title of Sri Ouak Radja; that is to say, "Paternal Uncle of the King,"
which he was in fact. And that is the first title of the _bendahari_.
Sultan Mahomet regulated the ceremonial customs of the court. He was
the first to prohibit yellow for the clothes of the person strange to
the court, for handkerchiefs, borders of curtains, pillow-cases,
mattresses, coverings of all kinds, ornaments of every nature, as well
as for the decoration of houses.
Furthermore the use of only three kinds of garments was permitted--the
_kain_, the _badjoa_, and the _destar_. It was also forbidden to
construct houses with projections sustained upon pillars not touching
the ground, or with pillars extending beyond the roof or with
observatories. The _prahos_ could have no windows in front. It was
forbidden to carry clasps or ornaments of gold on the _kris_. No one
strange to the court could have gold rings nor pins nor jingling
bangles of gold and silver. Nobody without the royal consent had the
right to wear on his clothes gilding of any sort; but the authorization
once granted, one might wear it indefinitely. When a man presented
himself at the palace, if he had a vesture falling beneath the girdle,
if his _kris_ was not attached in front, if he was not clad in a
_sabec_, he was not admitted, whatever might be his distinction. If
anyone entered with his _kris_ attached behind, the officer took it
away from him.
Such were formerly the prohibitions of the Malay kings. Whoever
transgressed was guilty of _lese-majeste_ and was condemned to pay a
fine of one to five katis. White parasols were held in higher esteem
than yellow ones, because they could be seen at a greater distance.
That is why they were ranked higher; the first were for the King and
the second for the princes. The objects of the king's private use, such
as the spittoon, the ewer for his ablutions, the fan, and other like
objects, had no fixed place, except the betel-tray and the sword, which
they kept at the right and left of the sovereign. At the arrival and
departure of an ambassador, the servitors of the King brought from the
palace dishes and basins which were received by the head of the
_bataras_ and deposited near the _bendahari_. They gave a dish and a
scarf to the bearer of the letter. If the missive came from Pasey or
from Harau, it was received with all the royal pomp--drum, flute,
trumpet, kettledrum, and two white parasols together; but the bugle did
not figure at this reception. The ministers preceded the elephant
bearing the message, the bataras followed it with the _sida-sida_. The
letter was borne by the chief of the _bedaouenda_, and they placed the
elephant at the extremity of the _balei_. For the kings of these two
countries were equal in greatness to the King of Malaka. Younger or
older, all gave the salaam.
Having reached the audience-chamber, the letter was received by the
chief of heralds of the right, the one of the left being charged with
transmitting the words of the King to the ambassador, and the herald of
the right transmitted the answer. If the message came from another
country than Pasey and Harau, they suppressed part of the men. The
_cortege_ included only the drum, the flute, and a yellow parasol. They
took, as was suitable, now an elephant, now a horse, and they halted
outside the first exterior gate. When the message came from a more
considerable sovereign, they employed the flute and two parasols, one
white and one yellow. The elephant passed through the exterior gate,
for formerly the royal entrance included seven fortifications. At his
departure, the ambassador received a complete investiture, even were he
only a simple ambassador of Rakan. The same gift was offered to our own
ambassadors at the moment of their departure.
When the King conferred a title, he gave audience in the _falerong_,
with the following procedure: According to the rank, the person to be
honored was brought on an elephant, on horseback, or simply on foot,
with parasol, drum, and flute. There were green, blue, and red
parasols. The noblest were the yellow and the white, which with the
kettle-drums represented the height of distinction. The yellow with the
trumpet was also very distinguished; they were the parasols of the
princes and greatest personages. The violet, red, and green parasols
were those of the _sida-sida_, of the _bataras_, and of the _houlou
balongs_. The blue and black ones served for any other person summoned
to receive a title. When the personage arrived at the palace, he was
detained without. Then they read before the King a very fine piece. It
was a descendant of Batl that held this office. The piece read, they
took it out. He who received it was of the family of the candidate for
honors. With this piece they brought a _tetampan_ scarf with which the
reader invested the candidate, whom he then introduced into the
audience-chamber. There a mat was stretched for him to sit upon in
whatever place the King designated.
Then arrived the vestments. For a personage promoted to the ranks of
the _bendahari_ there were five trays. The sons of radjas and the grand
officers had four trays only, and so on down through the various ranks.
The servitors of the King charged with this duty approached the
beneficiary and placed the vestments upon his shoulders. He crossed his
arms, to hold the vestments in place, and they took him outside. The
etiquette in that was the same for ambassadors awarded an investiture,
each according to the rights of his rank. The beneficiary dressed
himself outside and then re-entered. They decorated him with a frontlet
and with bracelets, for every man who received a title wore bracelets,
each according to his dignity. Some had bracelets in the form of a
dragon with amulets, others had bracelets of precious stones, others of
blue enamel, others of silver. These wore them on both wrists, those on
only one. The beneficiary thus decorated went and bowed before the
King. Then he returned accompanied according to his rank, or by the
person who introduced him. The _cortège_ included now a drum and a
flute alone, now trumpets or kettledrums, sometimes a white parasol;
but the white parasol was a rare honor, as well as the kettle-drums,
for the yellow parasol and the trumpet were very hard to obtain in
those times.
On festival days, when the King went forth in a palanquin, he was
surrounded by high officers of state. At the head, before the
sovereign, marched the _bataras_ and the _houlou balongs_, each
following their charge. Footmen, also before the King, bore the royal
insignia. The royal pikes were at the right and left; the _bataras_ had
sword at shoulder. Before them marched the lancers. When the King gives
a festival it is the _panghoulou bendahari_ who arranges everything
inside the palace, stretches mats, decorates the _balerong_, and places
the _bangings_ on the ceilings. It is he who looks after the repasts
and sends the invitations; for the servitors of the King, his
_bendahari_, his tax-gatherers, and the receiver of the port all depend
on the administration of the _panghoulou bendahari_. He invites the
guests and the _temonggoreg_ seats them. In the hall the guests eat
four at a dish, to the end of the platform. If any one of the various
fours are lacking the others eat without him, by threes or by twos or
even one alone. For it is not permitted for those below to ascend to
make up the number. The _bendahari_ eats alone or from the same dish as
the princes.
Such was in former days the etiquette of Malaka. There were many other
regulations, but to relate them all would weary the attentions of my
readers. At the month of Ramadhau, at the twenty-seventh night, while
it was still light, they went in state to make adorations to the
mosque. The _Temonggoreg_ was at the head of the elephant. They first
took in state to the mosque the betel-tray, the royal insignia, and the
drum. When night came, the King started for the mosque, following the
ceremonial of festival days, made the prayer of perfumes, and returned.
The next day the _laksamana_ carried in state the turban, for the Malay
kings were accustomed to go to the mosque in a turban, a _badjon_, and
a _sarong_. These vestments were forbidden at weddings except by
express permission. It was also forbidden to dress in the Hindoo
fashion. Only those persons who had worn this costume for a long time
were allowed to wear it at prayers and at weddings. Festival days,
great or small, the _bendahari_ and the grandees assembled at the
palace, and the _panghoulou bendahari_ brought in pomp the palanquin.
As soon as they saw it appear, the persons seated in the _balei_
descended and stood about. Seven times they beat upon the drum, and
each time the trumpet sounded. After the seventh, the King set out on
an elephant and came to the platform erected for that purpose, which he
mounted. At sight of him, all those present bowed to the earth, except
the _bendahari_, who mounted the platform to receive him. The palanquin
having approached, the King placed himself in it, and they started for
the mosque according to the ceremonial above mentioned.
Such was formerly the etiquette of the Malay kings. Such I learned it,
such I tell it. If I commit any error, I desire to be convicted by
anyone who has given attention to this story, and implore the
indulgence of the reader.