UP A TREE IN THE JUNGLE 195 



came a British protectorate and the Sultan, a pros- 

 perous, though nominal, ruler ; and the development 

 of this virgin territory began. 



As a reward for the advice and assistance I 

 gave him, the Sultan, before Trengganu passed out 

 of his control, made me a present of five different 

 concessions of land, with all mineral and surface 

 rights. Though the concessions, which totaled nine 

 hundred square miles, were rich in tin, the Sultan 

 advised me to let the tin stay where it was and plant 

 rubber. I could see that I had reached the begin- 

 ning of the end of my career as an animal dealer ! 



On my return to Singapore after one of my visits 

 to Trengganu, I found a letter from Mr. La Souef, 

 of Melbourne, asking me if I would make a special 

 effort to get a rhinoceros for his zoological gardens. 

 He had made the same request the year before, and 

 I had had a standing order with my agents in 

 Trengganu, but nothing had come of it. There 

 was constant good-natured rivalry between Mr. 

 La Souef and his son, who was director of the 

 gardens at Perth, and, as I had provided the son 

 with a rhinoceros, I wanted to do as much for the 

 father. I wrote to him, saying that I should com- 

 municate with my agents and that, if they had 

 nothing to report, I would go out myself and see 

 what I could find for him. Accordingly, I sent AH 

 to Trengganu with the message, telling him to wait 

 there until I arrived 



There seemed to be so little chance that the na- 



