So I Told Them I Could Not
Wait, As I Wanted To See The House And Then To Go Shooting In The
Forest.
This seemed to puzzle them, and at length, in answer to
questions, very poorly explained by one or two bystanders who
knew a little Malay, it came out that no house was ready, and no
one seemed to have the least idea where to get one.
As I did not
want to trouble the Rajah any more, I thought it best to try to
frighten them a little; so I told them that if they did not
immediately find me a house as the Rajah had ordered, I should go
back and complain to him, but that if a house was found me I
would pay for the use of it. This had the desired effect, and one
of the head men of the village asked me to go with him and look
for a house. He showed me one or two of the most miserable and
ruinous description, which I at once rejected, saying, "I must
have a good one, and near to the forest." The next he showed me
suited very well, so I told him to see that it was emptied the
next day, for that the day after I should come and occupy it.
On the day mentioned, as I was not quite ready to go, I sent my
two Macassar boys with brooms to sweep out the house thoroughly.
They returned in the evening and told me that when they got
there the house was inhabited, and not a single article removed.
However, on hearing they had come to clean and take possession,
the occupants made a move, but with a good deal of grumbling,
which made me feel rather uneasy as to how the people generally
might take my intrusion into their village.
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