226

ACCOUNT or CELEBES , AMBOYNA, &£.

folitary placej with fuch fury, that, had they not been fortunately feparated by fornepeople who came in time to prevent a fatal cataflxophe, they would probably have bothfallen victims to their jealoufy and love.

As foon as this occurrence came to the ears of the King, he fent for both princes,and reproached them with great afperity, that they were near depriving him of twoof his children by their rajfh and foolilh conduit, which was the more unpardonable,being merely for the fake of a woman. He then commanded them immediately todifmifs their animofity, and to live thenceforward together with their accuftomed fra-ternal affection.

Thus far all was right. He next fent for the young princefs, and fternly afked her,how fhe dared to avow a choice between two of his grandfons ? The poor girl,trembling and in tears, could make no other reply, than that fhe had not done fobefore fhe was abfolutely compelled to it, and was afraid of fatal confequences, if fhehad remained obftinate in her refufal.

This difculpation was of no avail to foften the indignation of the King ; he knew,he faid, a way to preferve his children both from fuch debafing love and from thedangerous confequences of it, and that it would be an unheard-of event that one ofhis fons fhould lofe his life for the fake of a boyilh attachment. He then gave thewonted fign of death, and the wretched object of the violent love and furious hatredof the two princes, was carried out and pierced to the heart, without there being anyone found who durft pretend to be her advocate, or that her youth and beauty madethe leaf!: impreffion upon the obdurate heart of the cruel monarch.

CHAP. X. — Account of the Kingdom of Soping ; — Sketch of its Hijlory. — Loehoe ; —

Its Productions. —Dijfolute Conduct of the prefent Queen. — Tanete ; — Its Hijlory. —

The Country of Mandhar ; — Its Government — History. — Toadja, or Wadjo ; — Itsfingular Conjiitution.

THE kingdom of Soping was anciently one of the rnoft powerful dates of Celebes ;it lies partly along the weftern fhore of the bay of Boni; to the north it is bounded by thegreat lake called Tamparang Laba, and to the fouth it borders upon Lamoeroe, which,together with feveral other fmall dates, formerly belonged to it, but which afterwardsbecame either independent or united to Boni.

It yields nothing but paddee. In the year 1661, after the flight of Radja Palacca, itbecame a fief of Macafifer ; but in the year 1667, it was reftored to its liberty by theCompany.

The Kings of Soping have been allied by marriages to thofe of Boni from time im-memorial. The Sopingers pretend, in the fame manner as thofe of Macafler and Boni,that their firft King equally defcended from heaven. After him a feries of fovereigns,as well Kings as Queens, ruled over them, of whom the prefent reigning King of Boniis the twenty-fecond, who, with the confent of the nobles of Soping, governed thekingdom by means of a viceroy ; at prefent, however, namely in 1775, it is again underits own King, who married the daughter of the King of Boni. He is a faithful ally ofthe Company, and follows in all things the advice of the governor of Macafler,although by the bravery of his people, for one Sopinger is better in war than threeBouginefe, he could do much more than the King of Boni. His fon is educated atthe court of his maternal grandfather.

The part which this kingdom took in the troubles at the time of Crain Bontalancasand Aroe Tanete has before been mentioned.

2

The