My conductor could speak no Malay, so we walked on in silence for an hour, when we turned into a pretty good house and I was asked to sit down.

The head man of the district lived here, and in about half an hour we started again, and another hour's walk brought us to the village and where I was to be lodged.

We went to the residence of the village chief, who conversed with my conductor for some time.
Getting tired, I asked to be shown the house that was prepared for me, but the only reply I could get was, "Wait a little," and the parties went on talking as before.

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.