Malayan literature; comprising romantic tales, epic poetry and royal ...

SEDJARET MALAYOU 1 19
letter. If the missive came from Pasey or from Harau, it was
received with all the royal pomp— drum, flute, trumpet, kettle-
drum, and two white parasols together ;
but the bugle did not
figure at this reception. The ministers preceded the elephant
the bataras followed it with the sida-sida.
bearing the message,
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
falerongj 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 hoiilou 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.