XXIV MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES, &C. 
were not yet collected, some being there, some here, for 
every body knows, in the places of planters the houses are 
not collected together; so that it was the third day before the 
prahu was ready with five men to convey the gentleman to 
Malaka. During the three days he remained at my place I 
furnished him with every thing, mats and pillows with 
curtains and with his food agreeably to what is customary, 
and likewise provisions for the voyage, and the men who 
conveyed the gentleman to Malaka, everything was complete, 
nothing was wanting, and I said to him “ Concerning the 
prahu and the men who are to convey you to Malaka there 
is no hire,” and further when he desired to sail I escorted 
him with 14 or 15 men, to give him honour, as far as the 
mouth of the Binut. So he set sail, and afterwards my 
people returned from conveying the gentleman to Malaka. 
And I asked them “ Did the gentleman arrive at Malaka )”" 
The men said “ They are all at Malaka, nothing happened, 
we touched at Padang for a little. We met the raja Ta- 
manggong and Inche Dinar at Padang when they came in 
the steamer in search of bad people. After that the gen¬ 
tleman arrived in safety at Malaka, without having encount¬ 
ered any danger on the way ** 
Now this gentleman devised an ill thing and placed it in 
the newspaper, many were the things which he put in the 
newspaper, such as were not, he made to be, and such as 
wti e, he made not to be. k irst of all, he says that when he 
came to me and asked to be conveyed to Malaka I would 
not do so, because I had not invited him to come to my 
place, and it was not my business to convey him. But I 
never once spoke thus. Ihen lie says that I told persons 
to ask him for money for hire or ransom. But I absolutely 
deny having given such an order. Further he says that 
every night persons assembled in my house and made a 
noise as if cieating terror to induce persons to run away. 
As for men assembling m my house every night, it was the 
fact, because with the Malays during the month of Puasa, 
all persons perform pious works, pray and read the Koran, 
and the noise of this of course disturbs. It was not made 
with the intention of frightening him. And as to all the matters 
related by the Priest they are untrue, and not to be listened to 
at all. Moreover when he wished to sail I escorted him to 
Kwalla Binut, with 15 men to give him honour, but he says 
that 1 was like a person afraid that he would complain at 
Malaka to the authorities and that I might be blamed. But 
l had no ( thoughts of the kind, I thought however that this gen- 
