SHIPPING WILD ANIMALS 119 
made up my mind, but it is always well to let a 
native think that one has not quite decided. 
When I went to see the Dutch Consul-General 
and explained the situation, he issued passports for 
me, and, accompanied by the two headmen, the 
trader, Ali and my coolie boy, I took the next 
steamer to Pontianak. At Pontianak, I presented 
my credentials to the Dutch Resident. He was 
pleased to hear that I was going after the orang- 
outangs and he offered to let me have as many 
native officials as I wished to take along. I thanked 
him and declined his offer, explaining that I really 
did not know as yet just what I should need, or how 
long I should be up-country. As a matter of fact, 
I did not want his native officials because I knew 
that the jungle people have no love for them, and 
I wanted to have my expedition entirely clear of 
everything that looked official. 
We stayed there for several days, getting sup- 
plies together. The trader remained with the party 
at my request, because he was known by both the 
coast and the jungle people. From a Chinese he 
rented a houseboat that I could keep as long as I 
had need of it. The Borneo houseboats are twenty 
to twenty-five feet long and five feet wide; they 
have a bamboo shed, which makes a fairly comfort- 
able room, and are rowed or paddled by six men. 
With a mattress spread on the floor and mosquito- 
netting hung about, I could take the trip up the 
river easily. Omar, one of the headmen, stayed 
