58 TRAPPING WILD ANIMALS 
never been able to gather enough money to have 
the building completed; but, at that, it was the most 
imposing house in Trengganu. 
An hour later, I started out with Ali and. the 
Chinese boy for the palace, to pay my respects to 
the Sultan and. make another request for an inter- 
view. At the gate I was met by a tunku, who told 
me that the Sultan would not receive me. I re- 
turned to the trader’s house and slept through the 
hot afternoon. When evening came, I went again 
to the palace and met with the same reception. 
Twice a day for the entire week I called at the 
palace. I appeared to be making no headway, but 
I had been associated with the Malays long enough 
to know that the Sultan could not bear the strain 
much longer. Also, I knew that if I gave a tunku 
the least inkling of my purpose, all my hopes of 
hunting in Trengganu would be wrecked. 
The Sultan gave in at last; he sent word to the 
gate that he would receive me, and I was ushered 
into the “reception room” of the palace. The Sultan, 
a middle-aged, scholarly-looking man, was waiting 
for me, with his retinue squatted around him. I 
gave him my card. 
“What is it?” he asked. 
“My name,” I replied, bowing. 
“What country are you from?” 
“America.” 
He looked surprised and asked if I was English, 
French or Dutch; he thought that all white men 
