50 TRAPPING WILD ANIMALS 
information I could about animals and made myself 
known to dealers. I wanted to make trips to the 
interior, but to do so I needed a special permit from 
‘Bangkok. Instead, I made agreements with all 
the dealers that they were to send their animals 
to me, and arranged with the captains and chinchus 
of the coast-boats for the transportation of the 
crates. By offering to pay the freight and give 
them a fair share of the profit, I cut off a large part 
of Ariff’s business. 
On my return to Singapore, I found a letter 
from the director of the Melbourne Zodlogical So- 
ciety, suggesting that I come to Australia with a 
consignment of animals. A few weeks later I 
arrived at Melbourne with a black leopard, twenty- 
five small monkeys, two small orang-outangs, a pair 
of civet cats and numerous other animals. Mr. La 
Souef, the director, and his son, who had just been 
appointed director of the zodlogical gardens at 
Perth, met me at the dock. His son bought the 
entire consignment. The result of this visit was my 
appointment as agent of the Australian zodlogical 
gardens. In return for giving them first call on any 
animals that came into my hands, I was given < 
retaining fee. The most important part of th. 
agreement was that the animals were to be shipped 
f. o. b. Singapore and that I was thus released from 
all the risks of transportation. 
It happened too often that animals died aboard 
ship, after weeks had been spent in capturing them 
