United States or Zambia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
It was necessary first to go to Sampit, a small town, two days distant, on a river of the same name, where there is a controleur to whom the resident gave me an introduction, and who would be able to assist in furthering my plans.
The cook's masterpiece was a very cunningly contrived pasty a work of local genius that I was quite unprepared for. Even M. le contrôleur, had he not checked himself in time, would have beamed at this achievement; but he would never have forgiven himself such an admission of weakness common to mortals not in the service of the Government.
M. de Puymaigre, who, in 1789, was worth two millions, becomes a controleur des droits reunis at Briey with a salary of 2400 francs. In every branch of the new administration a royalist is welcome to apply for a post; however slightly recommended, he obtains the place.
Neither the assistant-resident nor the controleur were at home, but the former was expected next morning. Many Malays, big and little, gathered in front of the pasang grahan, where the man in charge could not be found, but a small boy started in search of him.
Two days later, among mighty forests of nipa-palms, we sailed up the Kayan or Bulungan River and arrived at Tandjong Selor, a small town populated by Malays and Chinese, the number of Europeans being usually limited to two, the controleur and the custom-house manager.
Upon their arrival in the Indies the Governor-General appoints them to the grade of controleur and tests their capacity by sending them to difficult and trying posts in Sumatra, Borneo, the Celebes, or New Guinea, where they must conclusively prove their ability before they can hope for promotion to the grades of assistant resident and resident, and the relative comfort of official life in Java.
In spite of having had ten teeth of the upper jaw filed down and the remainder coloured black by the constant chewing of betel, they are literally to the manner born. The controleur told me that his large district, the northernmost part of Dutch Borneo, called Bulungan, comprised "about 1,100 square miles."
When the coaling had been done and our goods taken on board, the strong little boat lay deep, but the captain said it was all right. He was the same able djuragan of two years before. Having received from the controleur letters to the five native officials located on the Katingan, we departed, and the following morning arrived at the mouth of the river.
And now he was utterly alone, almost like Robinson Crusoe. The contrôleur came in to make the bed. Mr. Greyne told him the dreadful story. "No doubt he has been lured away, monsieur. The dressing-case was of value?" "Crocodile, gold fittings." "Probably monsieur will never see him again. As likely as not he will sleep in the Seine to-night, and at the morgue to-morrow." Mr. Greyne shuddered.
Controleur W.J. Michielsen, quoted before, relates an instance of a Dayak from Serayan, whose daughter had been killed by a Katingan head-hunter, who pursued the marauders to their homes, and, on the occasion of the festivities incident to the return of the members of the raid, he cut the head from the murderer of his child while the celebration was in progress.
Word Of The Day