Chapter 4

That year, towards the breaking up of the south-west monsoon, disquieting
rumours reached Sambir. Captain Ford, coming up to Almayer's house for
an evening's chat, brought late numbers of the _Straits Times_ giving the
news of Acheen war and of the unsuccessful Dutch expedition. The
Nakhodas of the rare trading praus ascending the river paid visits to
Lakamba, discussing with that potentate the unsettled state of affairs,
and wagged their heads gravely over the recital of Orang Blanda exaction,
severity, and general tyranny, as exemplified in the total stoppage of
gunpowder trade and the rigorous visiting of all suspicious craft trading
in the straits of Macassar. Even the loyal soul of Lakamba was stirred
into a state of inward discontent by the withdrawal of his license for
powder and by the abrupt confiscation of one hundred and fifty barrels of
that commodity by the gunboat _Princess Amelia_, when, after a hazardous
voyage, it had almost reached the mouth of the river. The unpleasant
news was given him by Reshid, who, after the unsuccessful issue of his
matrimonial projects, had made a long voyage amongst the islands for
trading purposes; had bought the powder for his friend, and was
overhauled and deprived of it on his return when actually congratulating
himself on his acuteness in avoiding detection. Reshid's wrath was
principally directed against Almayer, whom he suspected of having
notified the Dutch authorities of the desultory warfare carried on by the
Arabs and the Rajah with the up-river Dyak tribes.

To Reshid's great surprise the Rajah received his complaints very coldly,
and showed no signs of vengeful disposition towards the white man. In
truth, Lakamba knew very well that Almayer was perfectly innocent of any
meddling in state affairs; and besides, his attitude towards that much
persecuted individual was wholly changed in consequence of a
reconciliation effected between him and his old enemy by Almayer's newly-
found friend, Dain Maroola.

Almayer had now a friend. Shortly after Reshid's departure on his
commercial journey, Nina, drifting slowly with the tide in the canoe on
her return home after one of her solitary excursions, heard in one of the
small creeks a splashing, as if of heavy ropes dropping in the water, and
the prolonged song of Malay seamen when some heavy pulling is to be done.
Through the thick fringe of bushes hiding the mouth of the creek she saw
the tall spars of some European-rigged sailing vessel overtopping the
summits of the Nipa palms. A brig was being hauled out of the small
creek into the main stream. The sun had set, and during the short
moments of twilight Nina saw the brig, aided by the evening breeze and
the flowing tide, head towards Sambir under her set