It Was Very Small,
Not Raised On Posts, But With The Earth For A Floor, And Was
Built Almost Entirely
Of the leaf-stems of the sago-palm, called
here "gaba-gaba." Across the river behind rose a forest-clad
Bank, and a good road close in front of the horse led through
cultivated grounds to the forest about half a mile on, and thence
to the coal mines tour miles further. These advantages at once
decided me, and I told the Secretary I would be very glad to
occupy the house. I therefore sent my two men immediately to buy
"ataps" (palm-leaf thatch) to repair the roof, and the next day,
with the assistance of eight of the Sultan's men, got all my
stores and furniture carried up and pretty comfortably arranged.
A rough bamboo bedstead was soon constructed, and a table made of
boards which I had brought with me, fixed under the window. Two
bamboo chairs, an easy cane chair, and hanging shelves suspended
with insulating oil cups, so as to be safe from ants, completed
my furnishing arrangements.
In the afternoon succeeding my arrival, the Secretary accompanied
me to visit the Sultan. We were kept waiting a few minutes in an
outer gate-house, and then ushered to the door of a rude, half-
fortified whitewashed house. A small table and three chairs were
placed in a large outer corridor, and an old dirty-faced man with
grey hair and a grimy beard, dressed in a speckled blue cotton
jacket and loose red trousers, came forward, shook hands, and
asked me to be coated.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 33 of 412
Words from 8597 to 8865
of 111511
