prospect of a fortune at the end of it. I am to have
a bonus on results, beyond my salary.”
I went into the city, proud of the boy’s courage, but
with the traditional story of Borneo in my mind, and
with ugly thoughts of fever and other tropical difficulties
and dangers that beset the European path on the
equator. Mr. Alfred Dent, the founder of the Company,
and Mr. William M. Crocker, now its manager,
spoke of my son in very kindly terms. They believed
in young men, and in particular they believed in my
son.
“ Do you not think he is too young for the position ? ”■
I asked.
“ Too young! He will get over that,” said an elderly
gentleman (looking up from a letter he was writing)
to whom I was introduced.
This third gentleman in our conversation was Mr.
William Henry Macleod Read, one of the first directors
of the Company, and whose name is a tower of strength
in th a t part of the East we were discussing.
“ He is a fine young fellow,” said Mr. Read, “ and
he will make his way.”
“ But the climate ? ” I said.
“ Well, itds hot,” he replied; “ but I have lived out
there most of my life, and I am over seventy.”
Mr. Read was the picture of health, and I began to
fear that I was playing the part of the over-anxious
father. Nevertheless I carried home a bundle of papers,
printed and in manuscript, relating to the Company, its
work, its objects and affairs, resolved to study them and
to master the modern story of Borneo. I was struck
with the adventurous narratives of a Mr. F. Witti, who
was in the Company’s service; and I found that only
a very small section of the Company’s territory had
been explored. Then I talked over with Mr. Dent the
work which Frank would have to do. “ I t will be
entirely different to that of Witti,” he said, “ who is a
born explorer, one of those adventurous men who like
danger for its own sake, and who prefer to wander up
and down the earth in outlandish places rather than
to settle in civilized quarters. When Frank travels, it
will be under more favourable conditions.”
The truth is, they did not quite know in London
what would be Frank’s real work in Borneo ; but I
made an express condition that if he had to undertake
expeditions into the interior, he should at least have
one efficient white officer (an Englishman) on his staff.
In my ignorance of Eastern work, and especially of
Bornean exploration, I tried to stipulate for English
servants, but soon understood the impracticability
of that idea. .
Presently Frank was continually at the Borneo offices
in the city. I think the most active of the directors
took occasion to see him often. The Governor, Mr.
Treacher, came to. London. Frank met him and had a
long conversation with him. A water-party on the
Thames was given to the Governor. Frank was there.
He became personally and well acquainted with the
leading officials of the new government. He liked
them. They liked him. The more they s&w of him
the more they approved their choice of the young
officer who should form and establish their scientific
department.