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diff --git a/27801.txt b/27801.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fbb154a --- /dev/null +++ b/27801.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3822 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Children of Borneo, by Edwin Herbert Gomes + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Children of Borneo + +Author: Edwin Herbert Gomes + +Release Date: January 14, 2009 [EBook #27801] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHILDREN OF BORNEO *** + + + + +Produced by A Project Gutenberg volunteer working with +digital material generously made available by the Internet +Archive + + + + + + + + + +CHILDREN OF BORNEO + + + + +_Uniform with this Volume_ + + CHILDREN OF INDIA + By JANET HARVEY KELMAN + + CHILDREN OF CHINA + By C. CAMPBELL BROWN + + CHILDREN OF AFRICA + By JAMES B. BAIRD + + CHILDREN OF ARABIA + By JOHN CAMERON YOUNG + + CHILDREN OF JAMAICA + By ISABEL C. MACLEAN + + CHILDREN OF JAPAN + By JANET HARVEY KELMAN + + CHILDREN OF EGYPT + By L. CROWTHER + + CHILDREN OF CEYLON + By THOMAS MOSCROP + + CHILDREN OF PERSIA + By MRS NAPIER MALCOLM + + + + +[Illustration: DYAK CHILDREN] + + + + + CHILDREN OF BORNEO + + + BY + EDWIN H. GOMES, M.A. + AUTHOR OF + "SEVENTEEN YEARS AMONG THE SEA DYAKS OF BORNEO" + + + [Illustration] + + + WITH EIGHT COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS + + + EDINBURGH AND LONDON + OLIPHANT, ANDERSON & FERRIER + + + + +I gratefully acknowledge the permission readily +granted by Messrs Seeley & Co. Ltd., to make use of +much matter that has already been published in my +book, "Seventeen Years Among the Sea Dyaks of +Borneo," and I would recommend that book to those +who wish for more information about Borneo and its +inhabitants. + +EDWIN H. GOMES. + + +TURNBULL AND SPEARS, PRINTERS. EDINBURGH + + + + + To + LITTLE PAUL + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAP. PAGE + + I. The Island of Borneo--Jungles--The + Dyaks--Dyak Life in the Old Day 9 + + II. The Coming of the White Rajah--The + Missionaries 13 + + III. A Dyak Village House 18 + + IV. Dyak Babies and Children 23 + + V. Manner of Life--Occupation 28 + + VI. Head-Hunting 32 + + VII. Birds and Beasts in Borneo 37 + + VIII. Some Curious Customs 41 + + IX. Dyak Feasts 45 + + X. The Witch Doctor 51 + + XI. Some Animal Stories 56 + + XII. Omens and Dreams 63 + + XIII. Marriages and Burials 68 + + XIV. A Dyak Legend 73 + + XV. Dyak Beliefs and Superstitions 87 + + XVI. Conclusion 90 + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + + DYAK CHILDREN _Frontispiece_ + + PAGE + A DYAK VILLAGE HOUSE 18 + + GIRLS WEAVING 30 + + ON THE WARPATH 36 + + A DYAK GIRL IN GALA COSTUME 50 + + IN WEDDING FINERY 68 + + KILLING BIRDS WITH A BLOW-PIPE 74 + + A DYAK YOUTH 88 + + + + +CHILDREN OF BORNEO + + + + +CHAPTER I + +THE ISLAND OF BORNEO--JUNGLES--THE DYAKS--DYAK +LIFE IN THE OLD DAYS + + +Away down in the Indian Ocean there is a long chain of islands that +stretches from Burmah to Australia. One of these is New Guinea which is +the largest island in the world (leaving out Australia), and Borneo +comes next in size. It is nearly four times as large as England. One +quarter of it--the States of Sarawak and British North Borneo--is under +British influence. The rest is all claimed by the Dutch, excepting one +small State, Brunei, between North Borneo and Sarawak, which is governed +by a Malay Sultan, who is a Mahommedan. Sarawak is governed by an +English Rajah, or King, Sir Charles Brooke, who succeeded his uncle, Sir +James Brooke, in 1868;--British North Borneo is owned by an English +Trading Company, called the North Borneo Company, who appoint an +Englishman as Governor to rule it for them. + +If you look at a map of Borneo you will see that the Equator divides the +island into two parts, so that Borneo is right in the middle of the +Torrid Zone. The climate is therefore tropical, that is to say there is +no spring, autumn or winter, but only summer, and it is always much +hotter in Borneo than it is in the hottest summer in England. So, if an +English boy went to live in Borneo, he would find his English clothes +too thick and warm for him to wear there, and he would have to have thin +cotton garments. + +Most of the country of Borneo is covered with thick jungle, where large +forest trees grow close to each other, many of them with trunks over six +feet in diameter. These trees are often loaded with creepers and ferns, +and from the branches, high up overhead, beautiful orchids hang. + +The natives of Borneo are called Dyaks, and these tropical jungles are +their home. Let me try and describe to you what these people are like. +They are not black like negroes, but have a brown skin. They are not as +tall as Englishmen, but are slightly bigger than the Malays. The Dyak +men and women wear very little clothing because of the great heat. The +Dyak men wear a waistcloth which is made either of the soft inner bark +of a tree, or else of cotton cloth. It is about one yard wide, and from +eight to eighteen feet in length, and is twisted round and round their +waists and pulled up tight between the thighs, one end hanging down in +front and the other behind. Dyak women wear a short petticoat which is +drawn tightly round the waist and reaches down to the knees. Round their +bodies the women wear hoops of rattan, a kind of cane, and these are +threaded through small brass rings placed so close together as to hide +the rattan. Both men and women wear necklaces, bracelets, and ear-rings. +The men wear their hair long, and they blacken their teeth and often +file them to a point, or bore holes in them and insert brass studs into +them. + +Let me tell you something of the kind of life the Dyaks used to live in +the old days. You have heard of the head-hunters of Borneo. Seventy +years ago the Dyaks were one of the most savage and cruel people in the +world. In those days there was constant warfare between the different +tribes. The Dyaks therefore lived together in large numbers in long +village houses, and round these houses they built strong stockades, as a +defence against any sudden attack. + +In those old days a party of Dyaks would often attack some neighbouring +house. Such of the men as were at home would repel the attack as best +they could, for defeat meant certain death. The women and children would +be crowded together in the verandah of the Dyak house, and the men, +armed with swords, spears and shields, would form a circle round them. +Large brass gongs would be struck in a peculiar manner, to let the +neighbours know of the attack, and to implore their help. The fight +would continue till one party was defeated. If any came to the rescue, +the attacking party would retreat, pursued by such of the inmates of the +house as dared to follow them; but if no help came, the house would be +rushed, the men and women cut down, and the children killed or taken +captive. The heads of the dead would be cut off amid wild whoops of joy, +and carried off in triumph. + +The Dyaks thought it a grand thing to be able to bring home a human head +to hang up as an ornament in their house. The man who succeeded in +securing a human head was looked upon as a great warrior, and so very +often the young braves would make an expedition against some tribe +simply because they wanted to bring home the ghastly trophy of a human +head. + +Not only were the Dyaks head-hunters in those days, but many of them +were pirates. There was a great deal of piracy, and it was secretly +encouraged by the native rulers, who obtained a share of the spoil, and +also by the Malays who knew well how to handle a boat. The Malay fleet +consisted of a large number of long war-boats or _prahus_, each about +ninety feet long or more, and carrying a brass gun in the bows, the +pirates being armed with swords, spears and muskets. Each boat was +paddled by from sixty to eighty men. These terrible craft skulked about +in the sheltered coves waiting for their prey, and attacked merchant +vessels making the passage between China and Singapore. The Malay +pirates and their Dyak allies would wreck and destroy every trading +vessel they came across, murder most of the crew who offered any +resistance, and make slaves of the rest. The Dyaks would cut off the +heads of those who were slain, smoke them over the fire to dry them, and +then take them home to treasure as valued possessions. If you visit some +of the Dyak houses to-day, you will see some of these human heads, taken +in piratical raids in old days, hanging in bunches over the fireplaces. + +The whole country in those old days was in a great state of disorder. +The Dyaks were constantly at war, tribe against tribe, and no Dyak +village was safe from sudden attack. Many human lives were sacrificed +because the Dyaks wished, not only to obtain booty, but to satisfy their +lust for blood, and indulge in their favourite pursuit of head-hunting, +and gain glory for themselves by bringing home human heads to decorate +their houses with. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +THE COMING OF THE WHITE RAJAH--THE MISSIONARIES + + +I have told you, in the last chapter, what kind of people the Dyaks +were, and how in the old days a great deal of their time was spent in +piracy and in warfare against neighbouring tribes. Now I want to tell +you of the coming of the White Rajah--James Brooke--to Borneo, and what +he did there. I think every English boy and girl should know the +remarkable and romantic story of how an Englishman came to be a King in +Borneo, and to rule over the part of it called Sarawak. + +James Brooke was born on April 29, 1803. His father was a member of the +Civil Service of the East India Company, and spent a great many years in +India. He followed his father's example, and entered the Company's +service, and was sent out to India in 1825. Not long after his arrival, +he was put in command of a regiment of soldiers, and ordered to Burmah, +where he took part in the Burmese war. He was badly wounded, and had to +return to England on leave. For over four years his health prevented him +from rejoining his regiment, and when at last he started, the voyage +took such a long time, owing to a shipwreck and other misfortunes, that +he found on his arrival that his furlough had expired, and that his post +had been given to someone else. He quitted the service in 1830. + +In that same year he made a voyage to China and was struck by the +natural beauty and fertility of the islands of the Indian Archipelago, +and he felt sad when he thought of the tribes who inhabited these +beautiful islands. They were continually at war with one another, and +many of them were pirates. James Brooke conceived the grand idea of +rescuing these races from barbarism, and of putting down piracy in the +Eastern Archipelago. + +On the death of his father he inherited a large sum of money, and found +himself in a position to carry out his schemes. He bought and equipped a +yacht, the _Royalist_, and for three years he cruised about, chiefly in +the Mediterranean, training his crew of twenty men for the hard work +that lay before them. + +On October 27, 1838 he sailed from the Thames on his great adventure, +travelled slowly on the long journey round the Cape of Good Hope, and +reached Singapore in 1839. It took the _Royalist_ five months to reach +Singapore, but that was in the days before the Suez Canal was made. The +journey from England to Singapore can be made in a steam-ship at the +present time in less than a month. + +On arriving at Singapore, James Brooke met a shipwrecked crew who had +lately come from Borneo. They said that they had been kindly treated by +Muda Hassim--a native Rajah in Borneo--and they asked Mr James Brooke to +take presents and letters of thanks to him, if he should be going +thither in his yacht. Mr Brooke had not decided which of the many +islands of the Eastern Archipelago he would visit, and he was as ready +to go to Borneo as to any other; so, setting sail, he made his way up +the Sarawak river, and anchored off Kuching, the capital, on August 15, +1839. The country was nominally under the rule of the Sultan of Brunei, +but his uncle, Rajah Muda Hassim, was then the greatest power in the +island. As he was favourable to English strangers, Mr Brooke paid him a +visit and was most kindly received. The Rajah was at this time engaged +in war with several fierce Dyak tribes who had revolted against the +Sultan, but his efforts to subdue them were vain. He told Mr James +Brooke his troubles, and begged him to help him to put down the +insurgents, and implored him not to leave him a prey to his enemies. +James Brooke consented to help him, and began the difficult task of +restoring peace in the country. With his help the rebellion, which the +Malay forces were too feeble to subdue, was brought to an end. Brooke +led the crew of his yacht, and some Malay followers against the +insurgents, and defeated them. Muda Hassim was very pleased to see that +order was restored in the country, and he conferred on James Brooke the +title of Rajah of Sarawak. It was some little time before the Sultan of +Brunei would consent to confirm the title, but in 1841 the Government of +Sarawak and its dependencies was formally made over to James Brooke, and +he became the first English Rajah of Sarawak. He ruled till 1868, when +he died and was succeeded by his nephew, Charles Johnson Brooke, who is +ruling Sarawak to-day. + +When James Brooke became king, he set to work to improve the condition +of his subjects. He saw clearly that the development of commerce was the +best means of civilizing the natives, and, in order to do this, it was +necessary to put down piracy, which not only appealed to the worst +instincts of the Dyaks, but was a standing danger to European and native +traders in those seas. In the suppression of piracy he found a vigorous +ally in Captain (afterwards Admiral) Keppel, who, in command of H.M.S. +_Dido_, was summoned from the China Station in 1843 for this purpose. +The pirates were attacked in their strongholds by Captain Keppel. They +fought desperately, but could not withstand the superior forces of their +enemies. Many of them were killed, and many escaped and fled into the +jungle. In this way James Brooke put an end to Dyak piracy. + +The practice of head-hunting was also dealt with by James Brooke. He +declared it to be a crime. As soon as he heard that a party had gone on +the war-path, a force was immediately despatched by Government to +endeavour to cut them off and to fine them heavily. In the event of +their having secured human heads, these had to be given up, and the +Dyaks were asked to pay a large fine. Some refused to follow the +directions of the Government. These were declared enemies, and were +attacked and had their houses burnt down. This course he steadily +pursued for years, and by his rigorous treatment of head-hunting +parties, James Brooke dealt the death-blow to this horrible national +custom. + +After his strenuous life in Sarawak, James Brooke paid a visit to +England in 1847, when many honours were showered on him. He was +graciously received at Windsor by Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort. +The British Government recognizing the work he had done, appointed him +Governor of Labuan, and made him a K.C.B. + +The putting down of piracy, and the suppressing of the terrible custom +of head-hunting among the Dyaks, were the first steps that Sir James +Brooke took in civilizing his subjects. But he knew that as long as the +Dyaks held to their old superstitious beliefs in evil spirits, there +would always be a danger of their returning to their evil ways. So he +began to think of establishing a Christian Mission in Sarawak. He knew +that it was not enough to put down evil customs: if the Dyaks were to +improve, they must have the true Faith planted in their hearts. + +When Sir James Brooke was in England in 1847, he appealed to the two +Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and also to the two great +Missionary Societies--the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in +Foreign Parts, and the Church Missionary Society--to help him, but none +of them were able to do so as they had not the funds. So a new +Association, chiefly supported by his friends, was started, called the +"Borneo Church Mission." This Association sent out a few missionaries, +the first of whom was the Rev. F. T. McDougall, who was consecrated the +first Bishop of Labuan and Sarawak in 1855. + +After a few years the Borneo Church Mission flagged for lack of support, +and in 1854 the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign +Parts came to the rescue, and took up the work, and has ever since been +responsible for the Mission Work in Borneo. My father, the Rev. W. H. +Gomes, B.D., worked under Bishop McDougall as a missionary among the +Dyaks of Lundu from 1852 to 1867, and I myself have worked, under Bishop +Hose, as a missionary in Sarawak for seventeen years. + +When McDougall arrived at Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, in 1848, the +Rajah welcomed him kindly, and gave him a large piece of ground. On this +site were built a church, a school house, and a house for the Bishop to +live in. + +Rajah Brooke was anxious that the Dyaks, who lived far from the town and +had their home in the jungles, should also be taught. Both he and Bishop +McDougall were sorry to think of their heathen state, and they wanted to +save them from becoming converts to Mohammedanism. So they sent for more +helpers from England, and these missionaries went and lived among the +Dyaks in the jungles. They built their houses, churches and schools at +distant up-country stations, and they won the love and esteem of the +Dyaks, who came to them, not only to learn to read and write, but to +listen to the wonderful "Old, Old Story" the missionaries had to tell of +a God, Who loved them, and came to earth and died for them, and rose +from the dead, and ascended up to Heaven, and Who wanted the whole world +to learn of His love and become His faithful followers. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +A DYAK VILLAGE HOUSE + + +Among the Dyaks a large number of families live together under one roof. +A small village would consist probably of one long house, in which +twenty or thirty or more families live. This village house is built on +posts of hard wood, which raise the floor from six to twelve feet above +the ground. It is wise of them to build their houses in this way, +because the ground, even on the hills, is very damp in the rainy season, +and, besides this, there are snakes and scorpions and centipedes +crawling about, which would trouble the Dyaks if their houses were +built on the ground. Another reason for building their houses in this +way is that if they live together in large numbers, high above the +ground, it is not easy for their enemies to attack and overcome them. + +[Illustration: A DYAK VILLAGE HOUSE] + +The entrance to this house is made by a notched trunk or log, which +serves as a ladder; one is fixed at each end of the house. The length of +the building varies according to the number of families inhabiting it, +but as the rooms occupied by the different families are built on the +same plan, the whole presents a uniform and regular appearance. + +The long Dyak house is built in a straight line, and the walls and roof +are thatched with dried palm leaves. There is a long uncovered verandah +where the paddy[1] is put out to be dried by the sun; afterwards it is +pounded to get rid of its husk, and so converted into rice. Here, also, +the clothes and a variety of other things are hung out to dry. The +flooring of this part of the house is generally made of laths of hard +wood, so as to stand exposure to the weather. The flooring of the rest +of the house is made of split palm or bamboo tied down with rattan or +cane. + + [Footnote 1: Paddy--rice in the husk.] + +Next to the long uncovered verandah comes the long open hall, or covered +verandah, which stretches without any partition along the whole length +of the house. It is a cool and pleasant place, and is much frequented by +men and women for conversation and indoor pursuits. Here the women do +their work--the weaving of cloth, or the plaiting of mats. Here, too, +the men chop up the firewood used for cooking their food, and even make +boats, if not of too great a size. This long hall is a public place +open to all comers, and used as a road by travellers, who climb up the +ladder at one end, walk through the whole length of the house, and go +down the ladder at the other end. The floor is carpeted with thick and +heavy mats made of cane, interlaced with narrow strips of beaten bark. +Over these are spread other mats of finer texture, when necessary, for +visitors to sit upon, for you must understand the Dyaks do not use +chairs or forms, but always sit on the floor. + +On one side of this long public hall is a row of doors. Each of these +leads into a separate room, which is occupied by a family. This room +serves several purposes. It serves as a kitchen, because in one corner +there is a fireplace where the food is cooked. It also serves as a +dining-room, because when the meal is ready, mats are spread here, and +the inmates squat on the floor to eat their meal. It also serves as a +bedroom, and at night the mats for sleeping are spread out, and here the +inmates sleep. + +Round three sides of the room--the fourth side being occupied by the +fireplace--are ranged the treasured valuables of the Dyaks--old earthen +jars, some of which are of great value, and brass gongs and guns. Their +cups and plates are hung up in rows flat against the wall. The flooring +of this room is the same as that of the public hall outside, and made of +split palm or bamboo tied down with cane. The floor is swept after a +fashion, the refuse falling through the flooring to the ground +underneath. The room is stuffy and not such a pleasant place as the open +hall outside. The pigs and poultry occupy the waste space under the +house. + +Each family has its own portion of the long public hall outside, and the +length of this corresponds to the breadth of the room occupied by the +family, and in each of these portions there is a small fireplace which +consists of a slab of stone, at which the men warm themselves when they +get up, as they usually do, in the chill of the early morning before the +sun has risen. + +Over this fireplace in the open hall hangs the most valuable ornament in +the eyes of the Dyak, the bunch of human heads. These are the heads +obtained when on the war-path by various members of the family--dead and +living--and handed down from father to son as the most precious +heirlooms--more precious, indeed, than the ancient jars which the Dyaks +prize so highly. + +The posts in this public part of the Dyak village house are often +adorned with the horns of deer and the tusks of wild boar. The empty +sheaths of swords are hung from these horns or from wooden hooks, while +the naked blades are placed in racks overhead. + +If you can imagine a long house built several feet above the ground on +posts, with walls and roof of palm leaf thatch, and this house divided +into two parts, one a large public hall common to all the inmates, and +the other divided into separate rooms each occupied by a different +family, then you have some idea of the kind of house in which the Dyaks +live. + +The women are earlier risers than the men, and retire to bed earlier. +They generally go to the river as soon as they wake, carrying their +water-gourds with them. They have a bath, fill their gourds with water, +and return to the house to cook the morning meal. + +The principal article of food is rice, which is cooked in brass or iron +pots. With their rice they eat either vegetables or fish. Sometimes they +have the flesh of wild pig or deer, but that is not usual. Nearly every +animal is eaten by the Dyaks; fish, venison and pork are eaten by all, +and many tribes eat monkeys, snakes and even crocodiles. A favourite +method of cooking is to put the proper quantity of fish or vegetables or +meat, with sufficient water and a little salt, into a newly-cut bamboo. +The mouth is then stopped up with leaves, and the bamboo is placed over +the fire, resting on a stone at an angle of forty-five degrees or more. +By the time the bamboo is thoroughly charred, the contents are +sufficiently cooked, and it is taken from the fire and emptied out into +a plate. Sometimes rice is cooked in bamboos, and when it is ready to be +eaten, the bamboo is split and torn off in strips, and the rice is found +well cooked inside--a stiff mass moulded in the form of the bamboo. + +When the food is ready and put out in plates, the men are asked to come +into the room and eat. Sometimes the women eat with the men; but if +there are too many to eat comfortably at one sitting, the men have their +meal first, and the women eat with the children after the men have done. + +The Dyaks all sit on the floor, which also serves as their table. They +have their rice on plates, or sometimes upon clean leaves. They eat with +their fingers, dipping the hand when necessary into the common stock of +salt or common dish of meat or vegetables. They eat with the right hand, +compressing the rice into portions of convenient size. + +When the meal is over, they wash the crockery and put it away. The mats +are swept and taken up, and the refuse thrown through the open floor +for the pigs and poultry under the house to eat. + +The floor of the Dyak house is clean enough because all the dirt falls +through on to the ground underneath; consequently this is covered with +rubbish, and perpetually wet from the water thrown down from the floor +above, and, being the favourite resort of the pigs and fowls of the long +Dyak house, often smells horribly. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +DYAK BABIES AND CHILDREN + + +A Dyak baby is much like any other baby in being a little helpless human +thing that spends most of his time in sleeping and feeding, worrying its +mother with its constant wants, but yet loved greatly by her, and as it +grows up, making its parents proud of it, and amusing them by its +cunning little ways. Its colour varies from a light brown with a tinge +of yellow to a dark chocolate, and it wears no clothing at all until it +is five or six years old. + +Until a civilised government interfered to prevent such cruel murders, +there used to be a custom among the Dyaks that if the mother died when +her child was born, the poor babe should pay the penalty and be buried +with the mother. The reasons given for this cruel act was that the child +was the cause of the mother's death, and that there was no one to nurse +and care for it. No woman would dare to nurse such an orphan, lest it +should bring misfortune upon her own children. Therefore the poor child +was often placed alive in the coffin with the dead mother, and both +were buried together. That was the old cruel Dyak custom, but I am glad +to say it is a long time since it has been carried out. I have myself +known many cases among the Dyaks where the mother has died, and the +orphan has been adopted and brought up by some friend or relative. + +When a child is born a fowl is waved over it as a kind of offering to +the gods and spirits. This fowl is then killed, cooked, and eaten by the +parents, and any friends that may be present. + +During the first three days the child receives its bath in a wooden +vessel in the house, but on the fourth day it is taken to the river. +Some curious ceremonies attend its first bath in the river. An old man +of some standing, who has been successful in his undertakings, is asked +to bathe the child. He wades into the river holding the child in his +arms. A fowl is killed on the bank, a wing is cut off, and if the child +be a boy this wing is stuck upon a spear, and if a girl it is fixed to +the slip of wood used to pass between the threads in weaving, and this +is fixed on the bank, and the blood allowed to drop into the stream, as +an offering to propitiate the spirits supposed to inhabit the waters, +and to insure that, at any rate, no accident by water shall happen to +the child. The remainder of the fowl is taken back to the house and +cooked and eaten. + +At some period after the child's birth--it may be within a few weeks or +it may be deferred for years--a ceremony is gone through in which the +gods and spirits are invoked to grant the child health and wealth and +success in all his undertakings. This ceremony is generally postponed +for some years if the parents are poor, in order to enable them to save +a little to pay for the entertainment of their friends and relations on +the occasion. Where the parents are better off, the ceremony is held a +few weeks after the birth of the child. Several witch doctors are asked +to take part in this performance. A portion of the long open hall of the +Dyak house is screened off by large hand-woven Dyak sheets, and within +these the mother sits with the child in her arms. The witch doctors walk +round and round singing an incantation. Generally there is a leader who +sings by himself for a few minutes, then he pauses, and turns round to +his followers, and they all sing in chorus. Then the leader sings by +himself again, and so on. They all walk round, first turning their feet +to the right, and stamping on the floor, then pausing a moment, and +turning their feet to the left, still stamping. This ceremony begins in +the evening and goes on for several hours. When it is over, food is +brought out to the assembled guests, and all partake of the provided +feast. + +The proceedings differ very much according to the wealth and standing of +the parents. Among the poor, it is a very quiet affair--two or three +witch doctors attend, and only the near relatives of the child are +present. On the other hand, among those who are rich, this ceremony is +made the occasion of holding a great feast, and inviting people from all +parts to attend. Pigs and fowls are killed for food. Jars of _tuak_ (a +spirit obtained from rice) are brought forth for the guests to drink, +and all are invited to rejoice with the parents. + +The naming of the child is not made the occasion for any ceremonies, and +it is not unusual to meet children of seven or eight years old who have +not yet received a name. They are known by some pet name, or are called +_endun_ (little girl) or _igat_ or _anggat_ (little boy). + +Even when a name is given to a child, it is often changed for some +reason or other. The Dyaks have a great objection to uttering the name +of a dead person, so, if the namesake of a child dies, at once a new +name is chosen. Again, if the child be liable to frequent attacks of +illness, it is no uncommon thing for the parents to change the name two +or three times in the course of a year. The reason for this is that all +sickness and death are supposed to be caused by evil spirits, who are +put off the scent by this means. When they come to take the child's soul +away, they do not hear the old name uttered any more, and so they +conclude he no longer exists, and return without him! + +Dyak children do not have many toys. Little girls are sometimes seen +with rudely-carved wooden dolls, and little boys play with models of +boats. The boys are fond of spinning tops, which they make for +themselves. + +The Dyaks are very fond of children, and treat them very kindly. They +rarely if ever punish them. The children have a great deal of liberty, +but are not often unruly, disobedient or disrespectful. They are +generally very fond of their parents, and when they grow older, do as +they are told from a desire to please them. + +Dyak children have very soon to make themselves useful. A little boy of +ten or eleven accompanies his father to his work and helps him as best +he can. A boy is very proud when he has succeeded in making his first +dug-out canoe, which he sometimes does at fifteen. I have often, when on +a visit to a Dyak village, been asked by some boy to see the first boat +he has made, and I have been shown, not a toy boat, but a canoe in which +three men could sit comfortably. + +The girls like to help their mothers and learn to become useful at an +early age, and to do the different kinds of work a woman is expected to +do. When a woman is plaiting a mat of split cane, or of reeds, she often +gives the short ends, which she has cut off, to her little girl, who +sits by her and tries to make a little mat with them. I have often seen +little girls of ten and eleven being taught by their mothers how to +weave cloth. + +It is sad to think of these Dyak children in Borneo living in constant +fear of evil spirits, and not knowing anything about God. The +missionaries try to teach the little ones, and at each up-country +Mission Station there is a small school for Dyak boys. Here they are +taught about God, and are cut away from all the superstitious customs +which they would constantly see in their Dyak homes. Many of these boys, +after being at school for a few years, return to their own people, +taking back with them the good lessons they have learnt, and in many +cases influencing their friends and relatives for good, and leading some +of them to become Christians. A few of these schoolboys are sent on to +the larger school at the capital to be taught English. These are the +boys who, one hopes, will in after years become teachers and catechists +among their own people. There are so few Dyak books that it is +necessary that a Dyak teacher should learn English in order to be able +to educate himself by reading English books. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +MANNER OF LIFE--OCCUPATION + + +The Dyaks are industrious and hard-working, and in the busy times of +paddy[2] planting they work from early in the morning till dusk, only +stopping for a meal at midday. The division of labour between the men +and the women is a very reasonable one, and the women do their fair +share of work. The men do the timber-felling, wood-cutting, clearing the +land, house and boat building, and the heavier work generally. The women +help in the lighter part of the farm work, husk and pound the rice they +eat, cook, weave, make mats and baskets, fetch the water for their daily +use from the well or river, and attend to the children. + +With regard to paddy[2] planting on the hills, the work is divided +between the men and women in the following manner. The men cut down the +jungle where the paddy is to be planted. When the timber and shrubs have +been burnt, the men and women plant the grain. The roots and stumps of +trees are left in the ground. The men walk in front with a long heavy +staff in the right hand of each, and make holes in the ground, about a +foot apart. The women walk behind them and throw a few grains of seed in +each hole. + + [Footnote 2: Paddy--rice in the husk.] + +When the paddy has grown a little, the ground has to be carefully +weeded; this work is done by the women. When the crop is ripe, both men +and women do the reaping. They walk between the rows of standing grain, +and with a sharp, oddly-shaped little knife, they cut off the heads one +by one, and place them in their baskets which are tied to their waists +in front of them. The carrying home of the paddy thus reaped is mostly +done by the men, who can carry very heavy loads on their back, though +the women help in this work to some extent. The next thing is to +separate the grain from the little tiny stems to which it is still +attached. This is done by the men. The grain is placed on a large square +sieve of rattan or cane, fixed between four posts in the verandah of the +Dyak house, and the men tread on it and press it through the sieve. The +paddy that falls through is taken and stored in the loft in large round +bins made of bark. + +When rice is wanted for food, the paddy is dried in the sun, and then +pounded by the women in wooden mortars with pestles five feet long. As a +rule two or three women each use their pestles at one mortar, which is +cut out of the trunk of a tree. I have seen as many as six girls use +their pestles in quick succession at one mortar. In this way the grain +is freed from husk, and is made ready for food. + +The Dyak marries at an early age, and lives in a long village house with +many other families, and does his best to get as much paddy as possible +each year. He rises on work-days early in the morning, partakes of his +frugal meal of rice and salt, or rice and fish, varied by a piece of +wild pork or venison, which he may have received as a gift or bought +from some hunting friend. His wife wraps up his midday meal for him in +the spathe of a Pinang palm, and he goes to his work of cutting down +the jungle for planting, returning home in the evening. + +There are days when he does not go to work on his paddy farm, but spends +his time in getting firewood, or mending things in his room, or in +sitting about in the common verandah chatting with his friends. + +When the paddy is planted and has grown a little, and the time of +weeding draws near, the family remove to the little hut put up in the +paddy farm. When the weeding is done, the family return to the long Dyak +house and remain there for about two months. Then they go back to their +hut to watch the ripening paddy, and guard it against attacks of birds +and beasts. + +Paddy planting is the chief occupation of every Dyak, but he has plenty +of time for other things, and his life is not quite so monotonous as may +be supposed. The actual work of paddy planting, and everything connected +with it, such as the building of farm huts, and the getting ready of +farming implements, takes up seven or perhaps eight months of the year. +The Dyak has therefore a certain amount of time during which he can +visit his friends, make boats, or earn a little extra money by hunting +for such jungle produce as canes, gutta, or camphor. + +[Illustration: GIRLS WEAVING] + +The ordinary boats of the Dyaks are cut out of a single log. Some of my +schoolboys, under the guidance of the native schoolmaster, once made a +small canoe for their own use, so I saw the whole process. A tree having +a long straight stem was felled, and the desired length of trunk cut +off. The outside was then shaped to take the desired form of the canoe. +Then the inside was hollowed out. The next thing to do was to widen the +inside of this canoe. This was done by filling the boat with water and +making a fire under it, and by fastening large stone weights on each +side. When the shell had been sufficiently opened out, thwarts were +placed inside, about two feet from each other, to prevent the boat +getting out of shape when the wood dried. The stem and stern of the +canoe are alike, both being curved and pointed, and rising out of the +water. + +This is the usual type of Dyak boat, and the method of making a smaller +or larger canoe is exactly the same. Even a war-boat, ninety feet long, +is made from the trunk of one tree. In the longer boats planks or +gunwales are stitched on the sides, and the seams are caulked, so as to +render the boat water-tight. + +The only tool used for making a Dyak boat of this kind is the Dyak axe +or adze (_bliong_). This is a most excellent tool, and is forged of +European steel, which they procure in bars. In shape it is like a small +spade, about two and a half inches wide, with a square shank. This is +set in a thin handle of hard wood, at the end of which there is a woven +pocket of cane to receive it. The lower end of this handle has a piece +of light wood fixed to it to form a firm grip for the hand. The _bliong_ +can be fixed in the handle at any angle, and is therefore used as an axe +or adze. With it the Dyaks can cut down a great forest tree in a very +short time, and it is used for cutting planks and doing their +carpentering work. + +While the work of the men is to build houses and to make boats, the work +of the women is to weave cloth and make mats and baskets. The women +plant their own cotton, beat it out with small sticks, and by means of +a spinning-wheel make their own yarn. This yarn is not so fine as that +of English manufacture, but it is stronger and keeps its colour well. At +the present time, however, a great deal of the cloth woven by the Dyaks +is done with yarn of English make. The warp is arranged in the loom, and +the weaver sits on the floor and uses her hands and feet, the latter +working the treadles. The threads of the woof are then passed backwards +and forwards. The work is very slow, and Dyak weaving very tedious. They +use vegetable dyes, and the women blend the colours in a pleasing +manner, though there is a great sameness in the designs. The cloth they +make is particularly strong and serviceable. + +Mats are made either with split cane or from the outer bark of reeds. +The women are very clever at plaiting, and some of their mats are very +fine in texture. They also make baskets of different shapes and sizes, +some of which have coloured designs worked into them. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +HEAD-HUNTING + + +The custom of head-hunting at one time prevailed to a great extent among +the Dyaks. In the old days no Dyak chief of any standing could be +married unless he had been successful in obtaining the head of an enemy. +For this reason it was usual to make an expedition into the enemy's +country before the marriage feast of any great chief. The head brought +home need not be that of a man; the head of a woman or child would +serve the purpose quite as well. + +There were certain ancient customs which necessitated the possession of +a human head. When any person died, the relatives went into mourning. +They put away their ornaments and finery, and these were tied together +in bundles. At the feast in honour of the dead, these bundles were all +undone, and the men and women were allowed to wear their ornaments +again. Some man cut the string with which they were tied up, but before +he could do such a thing, it was necessary that a human head be brought +into the house, and it was usual for the man who had obtained that head +to take a leading part in the ceremonies and cut open the bundles. It +was also customary to make an offering of a fresh human head to the +spirits when a new village house was to be built. + +But these customs are not now universally observed. At the feast in +honour of the dead, the headman of the house generally cuts open the +bundles of finery that have been put away, and at the building of a new +house, the killing of a pig is supposed to satisfy the demands of the +spirits. + +It is presumed that a man, who has secured a human head, must +necessarily be brave. But this need not be the case at all, for, as I +have already mentioned, the head may be that of a woman or child. Again, +the heads need not be obtained in open warfare. Very often the head of +an enemy is taken while he is asleep. Nor is it necessary that a man +kill his victim alone with his own hand. Frequently many of his friends +help him to kill some unfortunate man whom they have waylaid. + +In the old days an expedition, that one tribe intended to take against +another, was announced at one of their feasts, when the village was +thronged with guests from far and near. Some great chief would advance +his reason for the desired attack. Either some of his people had been +slain and revenge was called for, or else they required a human head to +enable them to put off their mourning. Or perhaps they wished to build a +new house, and required some human heads to offer to the spirits of the +earth. Or, possibly, he himself wished to marry, and wanted a head as a +proof of his valour in the eyes of his lady-love. Among the crowd who +listened, there would be many who wished to follow him on the war-path. +The women would urge their husbands, or lovers, or brothers to go. The +chief would choose a certain number to form a council of war. These +would discuss the matter, and it would be decided when the party was to +start for the enemy's country, and how much food each man was to take +with him. + +Then the War Spear would be sent round to the neighbouring villages, to +let all know of the expedition. A man would bring the spear to a long +Dyak village house, deliver his message, and return, leaving the spear +to be carried on by one of the men in that house to the next village, +and so on. At once the men in that house would get their war-boats +ready. They would furbish up their arms, and sharpen their weapons, and +decorate their helmets and war-jackets. + +The costume a Dyak wears when going on the war-path, consists of a +basket-work cap, decorated with feathers, and sometimes with human hair, +a sleeveless skin or cotton jacket, and the usual Dyak costume of the +waistcloth. For weapons, he has a sword. This may be of foreign or of +their own make. It is a dangerous weapon at close quarters. He also has +a spear consisting of a long wooden shaft of some hard wood with a steel +spear-head, which is tied on firmly to the shaft with cane. For +defensive purposes the Dyak has a large wooden shield, about three feet +long, which, with its handle, is hollowed out of a single block of wood. +It is held in the left hand, well advanced before the body, and meant +not so much to receive the spear-point, as to divert it by a twist of +the hand. It is generally painted in bright colours, and often decorated +with human hair. + +Sometimes the shaft of the spear is a _sumpit_ or blow-pipe. This is a +small wooden tube about eight feet long. The smoothness and straightness +of the bore is remarkable. The hole is drilled with an iron rod, one end +of which is chisel-pointed, through a log of hard wood, which is +afterwards pared down and rounded till it is about an inch in diameter. + +The dart used with the _sumpit_ is usually made of a thin splinter of +the _nibong_ palm, stuck into a round piece of very light wood, so as to +afford a surface for the breath to act upon. These darts are sharpened +to a fine point, and are carried in neatly-carved bamboo quivers. + +The poison for these darts is obtained from the _ipoh_ tree (upas). +Though the wound made by the dart is very slight, yet so potent and +deadly is the poison, that death follows in a very short time. + +The Dyaks do not attack a village if their approach has been discovered, +and the people are on the defensive. Under these circumstances, they +content themselves with cutting off stragglers, or hide near the +water-side for people who are going to bathe, or on their way to examine +their fish-traps. These they attack unawares, cut down, take their +heads, and escape into the jungle before the alarm is given. + +When fighting, the Dyak warriors gather round their chiefs and defend +them bravely. Relatives often cluster together for mutual help. When one +of them is killed, rather than allow the enemy to take his head, they +decapitate him themselves, and bring his head back. + +On the return from a war expedition, if the people of any particular +boat have secured a human head, word is sent up to the Dyak village +house, as soon as the boat reaches the landing-stage. The men remain in +the boat, and wait there, till all the women-folk come to it dressed in +their best. The excitement is great, and there are continual shouts of +triumph as the women, singing a monotonous chant, surround the hero who +has killed the enemy and lead him to the house. He is seated in a place +of honour, the head is put on a brass tray before him, and all crowd +round him to hear his account of the battle, and how he succeeded in +killing one of his foes. + +[Illustration: ON THE WARPATH] + +The Dyaks value very highly the heads taken in war. They hang them over +the fireplaces in the long open verandahs of their houses, they make +offerings to them, and they believe that the souls of those whom they +have slain will be their slaves in the other world. I look upon it as a +remarkable fact worthy of record, that two great Dyak chiefs, who became +Christians--one the Orang Kaya of Padih, Saribas, and the other, Tarang +of Krian--should have taken such a decided step as to refuse to +treasure their enemies' heads any more. They were both men of position, +with a great reputation for bravery. Two of the grandchildren of the +Orang Kaya were at my school at Temudok for some time. A son of Tarang, +Tujoh by name, worked as my Catechist in Krian for several years. While +so many Dyak Christians are most unwilling to give up all their old +heathen customs, these two Christian Dyak chiefs happily took up the +right attitude, in such an important matter in the eyes of the Dyaks as +head-hunting. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +BIRDS AND BEASTS IN BORNEO + + +The animal life in Borneo is akin to that of Sumatra and Java, but with +certain differences. Borneo is free from tigers, and this is fortunate, +for travelling through the jungles would be dangerous indeed if tigers +were likely to be encountered. The only wild animals to be found are the +small and comparatively harmless tree-tiger, and the little brown +honey-bear, but neither of these are much feared. Wild boars abound, but +these never attack travellers, and are not a source of danger. + +There are many varieties of snakes, varying in size from the python +downwards. The python is a dangerous animal, and can kill a deer or a +wild pig, and swallow it whole. After a meal of that kind, a python is +unable to move for several days. + +Monkeys of various kinds abound, and are often seen among the branches, +sitting, hanging by hands or tails, leaping, grimacing, jabbering. There +is the great man-like ape--the _orang-utan_, or _maias_ as he is called +by the Dyaks. As a rule this animal does not exceed the height of four +feet two inches, though there are stories told of its attaining a far +greater size. The height, however, gives a poor idea of the animal's +bulk and strength. The body is as large as that of an average man, but +the legs are extremely short. Its arms are of great length, and measure +over seven feet in spread. The whole body is covered with long red hair. +It rarely attacks man, but when provoked is very ferocious, and as its +strength is very great, it is a foe not to be despised. + +Ferocious crocodiles abound in the rivers, but the number of human lives +taken by them is not great. For the most part crocodiles live upon the +animals and fish they catch. + +For superstitious reasons, the Dyaks do not interfere with the crocodile +until he has shown some sign of his man-eating propensity. If the +crocodile will live at peace with him, the Dyak has no wish to start a +quarrel. If, however, the crocodile breaks the truce and kills someone, +then the Dyaks set to work to kill the culprit, and keep on catching and +killing crocodiles until they find him. The Dyaks generally wear brass +ornaments, and by cutting open a dead crocodile, they can easily find +out if he is the creature they wish to punish. Sometimes as many as ten +crocodiles are killed before they manage to destroy the animal they +want. + +Wild pig and deer are to be found in the jungles, and these are often +hunted by the Dyaks. The Dyaks subsist more on a vegetable and fish +diet than on an animal diet, so hunting with them is only an occasional +pursuit. A Dyak village swarms with dogs, but most of these are of no +use for the chase, and only prowl about the premises, and consume the +refuse food. But some of their dogs, though small in size, are plucky +little animals, and will attack a boar three or four times their size. +Such dogs are of great value to the few Dyaks in each village who care +for hunting. When the dogs are good and know their work, native hunting +is not difficult. The hunter loiters about, and the dogs beat the jungle +for themselves, and when they have found a scent, give tongue, and soon +run the animal to bay. The hunter knows this by their peculiar bark, +hurries to the spot and spears the game. The boars are sometimes very +dangerous when wounded, and turn furiously on the hunter, and unless he +is nimble and climbs up some tree near at hand, or is assisted by his +dogs, he might fare ill in spite of his sword and spear. The dogs are +very useful, and by attacking the hind legs of the animal keep making +him turn round. + +Deer are more easily run down than pigs, because they have not the +strength to go any great distance, especially in the hot weather. + +A favourite way of catching deer is to send a man to follow the spoor of +a deer, and to find out where it lies to rest during the heat of the +day. Then large nets, made of fine cane, are hung around, and the deer +is driven into these. The hunting party divide into two parties, some to +watch the net, the others, accompanied by a large crowd of women and +children, drive the deer towards it by yelling and shouting. The +startled deer springs from its covert and makes towards the forest, and +gets entangled in the meshes of the net. Before it can extricate itself, +it is killed by the watchers. + +Lizards of all sizes abound. There is a small lizard which is seen on +the walls and ceilings as soon as the lamps are lit. It eats up any +mosquitoes or moths that it can find. What happens to this animal in the +daytime, I do not know, but as soon as the lamps are lit several of them +always make their appearance. + +There is a large lizard, about a foot long, found sometimes in the Dyak +houses. It makes a loud uncanny sound at night, and cries "_Gok-ko_!" at +intervals. This animal is named after its cry, and is called by the +Dyaks "_Gok-ko_." The natives consider that these lizards bring good +luck, and portend good harvests, so they never kill them. + +Many other kinds of lizards are found, but the most remarkable is the +chameleon, which is often seen on the branches of trees. This animal can +change its colour. When in the sun, it is generally a bright green, in +the shade, it is brown in colour, and when dead, its body becomes quite +black. These are the principal colours of the animal, but often its body +is a combination of these colours, and it looks very beautiful. + +Of birds there are to be found many varieties of wood-pigeon, as well as +parrots of different kinds, which fly about in large flocks. There are +also tiny humming-birds with feathers of a bright metallic hue. These +look very pretty as they hover over flowers. + +Many other birds are also found in the jungles of Borneo. Some of these +are looked upon by the Dyaks as the agents of the gods and spirits, and +they pay great heed to their cries. The Dyaks know nothing of the God +of Love who cares for His children, and has sent His Son Jesus Christ to +earth to tell us how to live, and so they listen to the voices of these +omen birds, and think that by doing so, they can find out the will of +the higher powers. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +SOME CURIOUS CUSTOMS + + +There are many curious customs to be met with among the Dyaks of Borneo. +They have the trial by ordeal, by diving, in which two men keep their +heads under water as long as they can. This is their way of referring +disputed questions to supernatural decision. They believe that the gods +are sure to help the innocent, and punish the guilty. When there is a +dispute between two parties, in which it is impossible to obtain +reliable evidence, or where one of the parties is not satisfied with the +decision of the headman of the Dyak house, this ordeal is often resorted +to. + +Several preliminary meetings are held by the representatives of both +parties to decide the time, and the place of the match. It is also +decided what property each party should stake. This has to be paid by +the loser to the victor. + +For several days and nights before the contest, they gather their +friends together; they make offerings and sing incantations to the +spirits, and beg of them to support their just cause, and help their +representative to win. Each party chooses a champion. There are many +professional divers, who, for a trifling sum, are willing to take part +in this painful contest. + +On the evening of the day previous to that on which the diving match is +to take place, each champion is fed with seven compressed balls of +cooked rice. Then each is made to lie down on a nice new mat, and is +covered with a beautiful, Dyak-woven sheet; an incantation is made over +him, and the spirit inhabitants of the waters are invoked to come to the +aid of the man whose cause is just. + +Early the next morning the champions are roused from their sleep, and +dressed each in a fine new waistcloth. The articles staked are brought +down from the houses, and placed upon the bank. A large crowd of men, +women and children join the procession of the two champions and their +friends and supporters to the scene of the contest at the river-side. As +soon as the place is reached, fires are lit and mats are spread for the +divers to sit on and warm themselves. While they sit by their respective +fires, the necessary preparations are made. + +Each party provides a roughly-constructed wooden grating, to be placed +in the bed of the river, for his champion to stand on in the water. +These are placed within a few yards of each other, where the water is +deep enough to reach the waist, and near each a pole is thrust firmly +into the mud for the man to hold on to while he is diving. + +The two divers are led into the river, and each stands on his own +grating, grasping his pole. At a given signal they plunge their heads +simultaneously into the water. Immediately the spectators shout aloud at +the top of their voices, over and over again, "_Lobon--lobon_," and +continue doing so during the whole contest. What these mysterious words +mean, I have never been able to discover. When at length one of the +champions shows signs of yielding, by his movements in the water, and +the shaking of the pole he is holding to, the excitement becomes very +great. "_Lobon--lobon_," is shouted louder and more rapidly than before. +The shouts become deafening. The struggles of the poor victim, who is +fast losing consciousness, are painful to witness. The champions are +generally plucky, and seldom come out of the water of their own will. +They stay under water until the loser drops senseless, and is dragged +ashore, apparently lifeless, by his companions. The friends of the +winner, raising a loud shout of triumph, hurry to the bank and seize and +carry off the stakes. The vanquished one, quite unconscious, is carried +by his friends to the fire, where he is warmed. In a few minutes he +recovers, opens his eyes and gazes wildly around, and in a short time is +able to walk slowly home. Where both champions succumb at the same time, +the one who first regains his senses is held to be the winner. + +The Dyaks have a curious superstition that if food is offered to a man, +and he refuses it, and goes away without at least touching it, some +misfortune is sure to befall him. It is said that he is sure to be +either attacked by a crocodile, or bitten by a snake, or suffer from the +attack of some animal. + +When Dyaks have been asked to stay and have a meal, if they do not feel +inclined to do so, I have often noticed them touch the food before going +away. I have never been able to discover the origin of this curious +superstition, but innumerable tales are told of those who have +disregarded it, and have paid the penalty by being attacked by some +animal. + +The Dyaks are very truthful. So disgraceful indeed do the Dyaks consider +the deceiving of others by an untruth, that such conduct is handed down +to posterity by a remarkable custom. They heap up a pile of the branches +of trees in memory of the man who has told a great lie, so that future +generations may know of his wickedness, and take warning from it. The +persons deceived start the _tugong bula_--"the liar's mound"--by heaping +up a large number of branches in some conspicuous spot by the side of +the path from one village to another. Every passer-by contributes to it, +and at the same time curses the man in memory of whom it is. The Dyaks +consider the adding to any _tugong bula_ they may pass a sacred duty, +the omission of which will meet with supernatural punishment, and so, +however pressed for time a Dyak may be, he stops to throw on the pile +some small branch or twig. + +A few branches, a few dry twigs and leaves--that is what the _tugong +bula_ is at first. But day by day it increases in size. Every passer-by +adds to it, and in a few years' time it becomes an imposing memorial to +one who was a liar. Once started, there seems to be no means of +destroying a _tugong bula_. There used to be one by the side of the path +between Seratok and Sebetan. As the branches and twigs that composed it +often came over the path, on a hot day in the dry weather, I have more +than once applied a match to it and burnt it down. However, in a very +short time, a new heap of branches and twigs was piled on the ashes of +the old _tugong bula_. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +DYAK FEASTS + + +The Dyak religious feasts may be divided into the four following +classes:-- + +Those connected with-- + + 1. Head-taking. + + 2. Farming. + + 3. The Dead. + + 4. Dreams, etc. + +Though the Dyak feasts differ in their aims, there is a great deal which +is common to them all. In these feasts the religious aspect does not +seem of great importance. There is little real, reverential worship of +gods or spirits. It is true that food is offered to some higher powers, +but this is done as the mere observance of an ancient custom. There are +also long incantations made by men chosen for that purpose, who have +good memories and can recite in a monotonous chant the special hymns of +great length connected with each feast. But the guests do not share in +this as an act of religious worship. They are generally sitting round, +talking, and laughing, and eating. While these incantations are sung, +topics of common interest are discussed, and plans formed, and in all +Dyak feasts, sociability and the partaking of food and drink seem to +take a more prominent place than any religious worship. + +The preparations for all these feasts are much alike. They extend over a +length of time, and consist for the most part in the procuring of food +for the guests. The young men go to their friends, far and near, and +obtain from them presents of pigs or fowls for the feast, and as +cock-fighting is loved by the Dyaks, they at the same time procure as +many fighting cocks as possible. The women busy themselves with pounding +out an extra amount of rice, both for the consumption of the guests, and +also for the making of _tuak_ or native spirit. + +The special characteristics and religious aspects of these different +feasts must now be noticed. + +1. _Feasts connected with Head-taking._ All these are given in honour of +Singalang Burong, who is the ruler of the spirit-world, and the god of +war. These feasts are not held as frequently as those connected with +farming, but when any of them take place, a great deal is made of the +event. The most important is the _Bird Feast_. + +The _Bird Feast_. This feast is also called the _Head Feast_, because +part of the ceremony connected with it is the giving of food to some +human heads taken in war, or the _Horn-bill Feast_, because carved +figures of the horn-bill are used. It lasts three days whereas other +feasts only last one day. In the old days it was only held on the return +from a successful war expedition, when the heads of the enemy were +brought home in triumph. But in the present day this feast is organized +when they get a good harvest, and when the people of the Dyak house seem +so inclined, and if no new heads have been lately brought home as +trophies, some old smoked heads that have been in the house for years +are used. + +Among the preparations for this feast is the making of the carved wooden +figure of the rhinoceros' horn-bill. This wooden figure is set on a high +pole, which is fixed into the ground in front of the house. An offering +of Dyak delicacies is hung up under it for food. Sometimes several of +these figures are used. + +Some human heads are placed in large brass dishes in the public hall of +the Dyak house, and to these offerings of food and drink are made. Some +of the food is stuffed into the mouths of these heads, and the rest is +placed before them. + +There are also certain erections called _pandong_ put up at regular +intervals in the long public hall, and to these are hung war-charms, +swords and spears, etc. The men who are chosen to make the incantations +walk up and down, going round the _pandong_ and the heads in the brass +dishes, singing the particular incantation that is used at this feast. +This singing lasts the whole night, beginning at 8 P.M. and continuing +till the following morning. Except for a short interval for rest in the +middle of the night, the performers are marching and singing all the +time. The killing of a pig, and examining the liver to find out whether +good or bad fortune is in store for them, is the last act of the +ceremony. + +2. The principal feast connected with _Farming_ is the _Gawai Batu_ (the +"Stone Feast"). It takes place before the farming operations begin, and +is held in honour of Pulang Gana, the god of the land, who lives in the +bowels of the earth, and has power to make the land fruitful or +unfruitful. In this feast invocations are made to this god, and he is +asked to give them a good harvest. The whetstones and farming implements +are placed in a heap in the public part of the Dyak house. Offerings are +made to the whetstones with a request that they may sharpen the tools +and thus lighten the labours of their owners. After the feast is over, +the whetstones are taken to the different farms, and the work of cutting +down the jungle for planting begins. + +3. The _Great Feast connected with the Dead_ is the _Gawai Antu_ (the +"Spirit Feast"). No definite time is fixed for the celebration of this, +and it may be held one or two years after the death of a person. All +those that have died since the last time the feast was held, are +honoured at the same time, so that the number of departed spirits +remembered at this feast is sometimes great. + +The preparation for this feast is carried on for many weeks. Distant +friends and relatives are visited, and asked to help with gifts of food +or money. Hard wood memorial monuments for the graves are got ready by +the men. The women weave, with finely-split bamboo, small imitations of +various articles of personal and domestic use, and those are hung over +the graves, and in this way given to the dead for their use in the other +world. If the dead person be a man, a bamboo gun, a shield, a war-cap +and such things are woven; if a woman, a loom, a fish-basket, a +winnowing fan, etc.; if a child, bamboo toys of various kinds. + +Before the feasting begins in the evening, there takes place the formal +putting off of mourning. The nearest male relative of the dead person in +whose honour the feast is held, comes dressed in an old and shabby waist +cloth. This is cut through by some chief, and the man puts on a better +garment. In the case of female relatives, also, their old shabby +garments are cut through and thrown aside, and they resume the use of +bright clothing and personal ornaments. The bundles containing finery, +that were put away at the death of their relative, are brought forth, +and the string tying them cut through, and the owners put on their +bright garments again. As the feast is in honour of several who have +died since the feast was last held, this kind of thing goes on in +several of the rooms at the same time. + +The professional wailer sits on a swing in the verandah outside the +rooms, and in a monotonous voice invites all the spirits of the dead to +attend this feast given in their honour. + +The morning after the feast, the last duty to the dead is performed. The +wooden monuments, the bamboo imitation articles, and food of all kinds +are arranged upon the different graves. Having received these gifts, the +dead relinquish all claim upon the living, and depend on their own +resources. + +4. A superstitious people like the Dyaks, living in constant dread of +unseen powers, naturally hold a feast when anything unusual takes place. +As the gods and spirits are supposed to communicate their wishes to +human beings by means of dreams, it naturally follows that if a man +dreams that some spirit is hungry and asks for food, at once a feast is +held, and offerings are made to that spirit. As the omens of birds are +observed and obeyed by the Dyaks, and the omen birds are looked upon as +messengers of the great god Singalang Burong, when a bird of ill omen +comes into a Dyak house, a feast is held, and offerings are made to the +gods and spirits. When a man has recovered from a long and dangerous +illness, very often a feast is held to thank the spirit of disease for +leaving them, and to beg him to stay away a long time. + +To all these feasts the whole neighbourhood for miles around are +invited. Some weeks before the day appointed for the feast, small +parties of three or four are despatched in different directions, and +these go from house to house and invite people to the feast. + +The men and women come to a feast dressed in the brightest colours and +wearing many ornaments, and the whole assembly has a very gay +appearance. For amusements they have dancing, cock-fighting, and trials +of strength among the young men. + +The Dyaks have two dances--the _Mencha_ or Sword Dance, and the _Ajat_ +or War Dance. In the former, two swords are placed on a mat, and two men +begin slowly from the opposite ends turning their bodies about, +extending the arms, and lifting their feet and planting them down in +grotesque but not ungraceful attitudes. After moving about for some +minutes, they seize the swords and pass and repass each other, now +cutting, now crossing swords, retiring and advancing. The main idea of +this Sword Dance seems to be the posturing in different attitudes, and +not so much the skill displayed in fencing. I have often watched a Dyak +Sword Dance, where neither has touched the other with his sword, the +movements having been so leisurely that there has been plenty of time to +ward off each attack. + +[Illustration: A DYAK GIRL IN GALA COSTUME] + +The _Ajat_ or War Dance is danced by one man. He is generally fully +armed with sword, spear and shield. He acts in pantomime what is done +when on the war-path. The dancer begins by imitating the creeping +through the jungle in cautious manner, looking to the right and to the +left, before and behind, for the foe. The lurking enemy is suddenly +discovered, and after some rapid attack and defence, a sudden plunge is +made upon him, and he lies dead on the ground. The taking of the head of +this invisible enemy ends the dance. Both kinds of dancing are +accompanied by the striking of brass gongs and drums. + +Cock-fighting is a favourite sport, and there is a great deal of it at +all Dyak forests. The cocks have artificial steel spurs which are very +sharp. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +THE WITCH DOCTOR + + +The children of Borneo are taught from their earliest years that there +are evil spirits everywhere--in the air, in the trees, in the rocks and +in the streams--and that these cause disease and death. And so when +sickness comes, the witch doctor or _Manang_ is sent for, because he +claims to have mysterious powers over the spirits. + +Every disease is believed to be caused by the touch of some demon, who +wishes to carry off the soul of the sick man into the other world, and +the witch doctor is the man who has power to charm or kill the evil +spirit, and rescue the soul of the sick man from his cruel clutches. +When called in to attend a patient, he in company with other medicine +men go through a ceremony, which, though agreeing in the main points, +differs in details according to what the disease is, and the amount of +fees paid. + +The witch doctor always possesses a _lupong_ or medicine box, generally +made of bark skin, which is filled with charms, consisting of scraps of +wood or bark, curiously twisted roots, pebbles and fragments of quartz. +These charms are either inherited or revealed to their owners by the +spirits in dreams, as possessing medicinal virtue. One important and +necessary charm is the _Batu Ilau_--"stone of light"--a bit of quartz +crystal into which the witch doctor looks in order to see the soul, so +as to be able to catch it and bring it back to the body it has left. It +is believed by the Dyaks that in all cases of serious sickness, the soul +leaves the body and wanders about at greater or less distance from it; +if it can be caught before it has proceeded too far on its journey to +the other world, well and good; if not, the patient dies. Whether the +patient recover or not, the witch doctor is rewarded for his services. +He makes sure of this beforehand, and demands his fee before he +undertakes the case. + +The _Manang_ never carries his own box of charms; the people who fetch +him must carry it for him. He arrives at the house of the sick man +generally at sunset, for he never performs by daylight, unless the case +is very serious, and he is paid extra for doing so. It is difficult and +dangerous work, he says, to have any dealings with the spirits in the +daytime. Sitting down by the patient, after some inquiries, he produces +out of his medicine box a pebble, or a boar's tusk, or some other charm, +and gently strokes the body with it. If there be several medicine men +called in, the leader undertakes the preliminary examination, the rest +giving their assent. + +The witch doctor now produces his _Batu Ilau_ ("stone of light") and +gravely looks into it to see where the soul is, and to discover what is +the proper ceremony for the case. When there is serious illness, the +witch doctor affirms that the spirit of the afflicted person has already +left the body and is on its way to the other world, but that he may be +able to overtake it and bring it back, and restore it to the person to +whom it belongs. He pretends to converse with the evil spirit that +troubles the sick man, repeating aloud the answers that the spirit is +supposed to make. + +There are many different ceremonies resorted to in cases of illness, but +the following is what is common to all _Manang_ performances. + +In the public hall of the Dyak house, a long-handled spear is fixed +blade upwards, with a few leaves tied round it, and at its foot are +placed the medicine boxes of all the witch doctors who take part in the +ceremony. This is called the _Pagar Api_ ("fence of fire"). Why it is +called by this curious name is not clear. + +The _Manangs_ all squat on the floor, and the leader begins a long +monotonous drawl, the rest either singing in concert, or joining in the +choruses, or singing in turn with him. After a tiresome period of this, +they stand up and march with slow and solemn step in single file round +the _Pagar Api_. The monotonous chant sometimes slackens, sometimes +quickens, as they march round and round the whole night through, with +only one interval for food in the middle of the night. The patient +simply lies on his mat and listens. + +Most of what is chanted consists of meaningless sounds, it being +supposed that what is not understood by man is intelligible to the +spirits. But some parts of it can be understood by the careful +listener. The witch doctors call upon the sickness to be off to the ends +of the earth and return to the unseen regions from whence it came. They +invoke the aid of spirits, as well as their own ancestors, and spin out +the invocation to last till early morning. Then they rush round the +_Pagar Api_ as hard as they can go, still singing their incantation. One +of their number suddenly falls on the floor and lies motionless. The +others sit down round him. He is covered over with a blanket, and all +wait, while his spirit is supposed to hurry away to the other world to +find the wandering soul and bring it back. Presently he revives, and +looks vacantly round like a man just waking out of sleep. Then he raises +his right hand clenched as if holding something. That hand contains the +soul, and he proceeds to the patient, and solemnly returns it to the +body of the sick man through the crown of his head. This "catching of +the soul" is the great end to which all that has preceded leads up. One +more thing must be done to complete the cure. A live fowl must be waved +over the patient, and as he does so, the leader sings a special +invocation of great length. The animal is afterwards killed as an +offering to the spirits, and eaten by the _Manangs_. + +The witch doctor is supposed to be called to his profession by a +revelation made to him in a dream by some spirit. He therefore claims to +have a familiar spirit, whom he can call to his aid when necessary. He +must also commit to memory a certain amount of Dyak incantations to take +part in the ceremonies in company with other _Manangs_. In addition to +this, before he can accomplish the more important feats such as +pretending to catch the soul of a sick man, he must be initiated by +other witch doctors. There are three different grades of _Manangs_, and +the higher the grade is, the larger the fees the aspirant has to pay the +other witch doctors. There are some differences in the ceremonies +connected with the admission into each of these three grades, but in all +of them the aspirant sits in the verandah of the Dyak house, and a +number of witch doctors walk round him singing incantations during the +whole night. The other _Manangs_ pretend to endow him with mysterious +powers, and to make him able to "touch" the maladies of the body, and +also to see the soul wherever it may be wandering. + +From what has been said it will be seen that the Dyak witch doctor uses +much deceit and trades on the ignorance of others. He pretends to be +able to "catch the soul" of a sick man, and is paid for doing so. When +Dyaks have given up their old beliefs and superstitions, and have +accepted the true Faith, they naturally give up their belief in the +witch doctor's mysterious powers. For this reason the greatest opponents +to the advance of the Gospel in Borneo are the _Manangs_. I am glad to +say, however, that some Dyak witch doctors have listened to the teaching +of the missionaries and have seen the wickedness of the deceitful lives +they have led. These have become Christians, and have openly confessed +to their evil practices in trading on the superstitions of the Dyaks. +Some have become Catechists and teachers, and are teaching others to +renounce the belief in evil spirits which they at one time taught, and +are undoing the evil they did in the past by bringing people to God. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +SOME ANIMAL STORIES + + +The Dyaks of Borneo, both young and old, are very fond of listening to +stories, and often in the evening in the public hall of the long Dyak +village house, a crowd of men, women and children may be seen seated on +mats, listening to a legend or fairy-tale related by some old man. They +have a large number of stories about animals which the Dyaks are never +tired of listening to; and though they know them well, still they love +to hear them retold again and again. These animal stories correspond to +the adventures of Brer Rabbit, or our own tales illustrating the cunning +of the fox. In the Dyak stories the mouse-deer, one of the smallest +animals to be found in Borneo, is represented as very clever, and able +to outwit with his cunning the larger and stronger animals. Here are two +animal stories which I have myself heard related by the Dyaks +themselves: + + +THE STORY OF THE MOUSE-DEER AND OTHER ANIMALS WHO WENT OUT FISHING + +Once upon a time the Mouse-deer, accompanied by many other animals, went +on a fishing expedition. All day long they fished, and in the evening +they returned to the little hut they had put up by the river-side, +salted the fish they had caught, and stored it up in large jars. They +noticed, when they returned in the evening, that much of the fish they +had left in the morning was missing. The animals held a council to +decide what it was best to do, and after some discussion, it was decided +that the Deer should stay behind to catch the thief, while the others +went out to fish. + +"I shall be able to master him, whoever he is," said the Deer. "If he +refuses to do what I wish, I shall punish him with my sharp horns." + +So the others went out fishing, leaving the Deer at home. Soon he heard +the tramp of someone coming to the foot of the ladder leading up into +the hut, and a voice called out: + +"Is anyone at home?" + +"I am here," said the Deer. Looking out he saw a great giant, and his +heart failed him. He wished he had asked one of his companions to stay +with him. + +"I smell some fish," said the Giant. "I want some, and you must give it +to me at once. I am hungry. Let me have what I want." + +"It does not belong to me," said the Deer, in great fear. "It belongs to +the Pig, the Bear, the Tiger, and the Mouse-deer. They would punish me +severely if I gave any of it to you." + +"Don't talk to me in that way," said the Giant, impatiently. "If you do +not let me have what I want, I will eat you up." + +The Deer was too frightened of the Giant to refuse his request, so he +let him eat the fish, and take some away with him. + +When his companions returned, the Deer gave them his account of the +Giant's visit. They blamed him for his cowardice, and the Wild Boar said +he would keep watch the next day. + +"If the Giant comes," said he, "I will gore him with my tusks, and +trample him underfoot." + +But he fared no better than the Deer, for when he saw the Giant, who +threatened to kill him if he refused to give him some fish, he was +afraid, and let him take as much as he wanted. + +Great was the disgust of the others to find on their return that their +fish had again been taken. + +"Let me watch," said the Bear. "No Giant shall frighten me. I will hug +him with my strong arms, and scratch him with my sharp claws." + +So Bruin was left in charge the next day, while the others went out to +fish. + +Soon he heard the Giant who came to the foot of the steps, and shouted: +"Hullo! Who's there?" + +"I am," said the Bear. "Who are you, and what do you want?" + +"I can smell some nice fish, and I am hungry, and want some." + +"I cannot let you have any," said the Bear. "It does not belong to me." + +"Let me have some at once," said the Giant in a voice of thunder, +"before I kill and eat you." + +The Bear was too much frightened to interfere, while the Giant ransacked +the jars. When he had had enough, he bade the Bear "Good-bye!" and went +off. + +On the return of the other animals, the Tiger said he would put a stop +to this state of things. He would stay at home the next day and keep +watch. It would have to be a very strong Giant indeed that would dare to +fight him! + +The Giant paid his visit as before, and told the Tiger that he was +hungry, and asked for some fish. At first the Tiger refused to give any +to him, but when the Giant threatened to attack him, he was afraid, like +the others had been, and let him have as much as he wanted. + +On their return, again the animals found their fish had been stolen. + +Then the Mouse-deer spoke. "I see," he said, "that it is no use +depending on you others. You boast, but when the time comes for action, +you have no courage. I will stay at home, and secure this giant of whom +you are all afraid." + +When his companions had gone away the next morning, the Mouse-deer tied +a bandage round his forehead and lay down. + +Soon the Giant came, and shouted: "Who's there?" + +"Only me," said the Mouse-deer, groaning with pain. "Come up, whoever +you may be." + +The Giant climbed up the rickety ladder, and saw the Mouse-deer lying +with his head bandaged. + +"What is the matter with you?" asked the Giant. + +"I have a headache," was the answer. + +"Whatever has given you the headache?" asked the Giant. + +"Can't you guess?" said the Mouse-deer. "It is the smell of this fish in +these jars. It is so strong, it is enough to make anyone ill. Don't you +feel ill yourself?" + +"I think I do," said the Giant. "Cannot you give me some medicine?" + +"I have no medicine with me," said the Mouse-deer, "but I can bandage +you, as I have bandaged myself, and that is sure to do you good." + +"Thank you," said the Giant. "It is good of you to take the trouble to +cure me." + +So the Giant lay down as he was bid, while the Mouse-deer bandaged his +head and fastened the ends of the bandage to pegs which he drove into +the ground under the open flooring of the hut. + +"Don't you feel a little pain in your ankles?" anxiously suggested the +Mouse-deer. + +"I think I do," said the foolish giant. "Suppose you bandage them also." + +So the Mouse-deer, chuckling to himself, bandaged his ankles, and made +them fast to the floor of the hut. + +"Do you not feel the pain in your legs?" asked the Mouse-deer. + +"I think I do," was the foolish Giant's reply. + +So the Mouse-deer bandaged his legs and made them secure, so that the +Giant was quite unable to move. + +By this time the Giant began to get uneasy, and trying to get up, and +finding himself securely bound, he struggled, and roared in pain and +anger. + +The little Mouse-deer sat before him and laughed, and said: + +"You were a match for the Deer, the Pig, the Bear, and the Tiger, but +you are defeated by me. Don't make so much noise, or I shall drive a peg +through your temples and kill you." + +Just then the others returned from their fishing. Great was their joy to +find their enemy securely bound. With shouts of triumph they fell upon +the Giant and killed him, and praised the Mouse-deer for his cleverness +in securing him. + + +THE STORY OF THE MOUSE-DEER, THE DEER, AND THE PIG + +A Mouse-deer, wandering in the jungle, fell into a pit. He could not get +out, so he waited patiently for some passer-by. Presently a Pig passed +by the mouth of the pit. The Mouse-deer called out to him, and he looked +in and asked the Mouse-deer what he was doing at the bottom of the pit. + +"Don't you know what is going to happen?" said the Mouse-deer. "The sky +is going to fall down, and everybody will be crushed to dust unless he +takes shelter in a pit. If you want to save your life, you had better +jump in." + +The Pig jumped into the pit, and the Mouse-deer got on his back, but he +found he was not high enough to enable him to leap out. + +Next a Deer came along, and, seeing the two animals in the pit, asked +them what they were doing there. + +The Mouse-deer replied: "The sky is going to fall down, and everyone +will be crushed unless he hides in some hole. Jump in, if you want to +save your life." + +The Deer sprang in, and the Mouse-deer made him stand on the back of the +Pig; then he himself got on the back of the Deer and jumped out of the +pit, leaving the other two to their fate. + +The Deer and the Pig were very angry at being tricked in this way by +such a small animal as the Mouse-deer. They scratched the side of the +pit with their feet until it sloped, and enabled them to scramble out; +then they followed the trail of the Mouse-deer, and soon overtook him. + +The Mouse-deer saw them coming, and climbed up a tree from the bough of +which a large beehive was hanging. + +"Come down," said the Pig and Deer angrily. "You have deceived us, and +we mean to kill you." + +"Deceived you?" said the Mouse-deer in pretended surprise. "When did I +deceive you, or do anything to deserve death?" + +"Didn't you tell us that the sky was going to fall, and that if we did +not hide ourselves in a pit we should be killed?" + +"Oh, yes," was the reply. "What I said was perfectly true, only I +persuaded the King to postpone the disaster." + +"You need not try to put us off with any more lies. You must come down, +for we mean to have your blood." + +"I cannot," said the Mouse-deer, "because the King has asked me to watch +his gong," pointing to the bees' nest. + +"Is that the King's gong?" said the Deer. "I should like to strike it to +hear what it sounds like." + +"So you may," said the Mouse-deer, "only let me get down, and go to some +distance before you do so, as the sound would deafen me." + +So the Mouse-deer sprang down and ran away. The Deer took a long stick +and struck the bees' nest, and the bees flew out angrily and stung him +to death. + +The Pig, seeing what had happened, pursued the Mouse-deer, determined to +avenge the death of his friend. He found his enemy taking refuge on a +tree round the trunk of which a large python was curled. + +"Come down," said the Pig, "and I will kill you." + +"I cannot come down to-day. I am set here to watch the King's girdle. +Look at it," he said, pointing to the Python. "Is it not pretty? I have +never seen such a handsome waist-belt before." + +"It is beautiful," said the Pig. "How I should like to wear it for one +day!" + +"So you may," said the Mouse-deer, "but be careful and do not spoil it." + +So the foolish Pig entangled himself in the folds of the Python, who +soon crushed him to death and ate him for his dinner, and the clever +Mouse-deer escaped, having outwitted his enemies. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +OMENS AND DREAMS + + +The Dyak is conscious of his ignorance of the laws which govern the +world in which he lives. He feels his weakness and the need of some +guidance from unseen powers. He has no knowledge of God and the +revelation He has made in the Bible, and so he has devised for himself a +system of omens. + +There are seven birds in Borneo whose native names are: _Katupong_, +_Beragai_, _Kutok_, _Embuas_, _Nendak_, _Papau_ and _Bejampong_. These +are supposed to reveal to the Dyaks the will of the great god Singalang +Burong. These birds are beautiful in plumage, but, like most tropical +birds, they have little song, and their calls are shrill and piercing. +They are supposed to be the seven sons-in-law of Singalang Burong, and +the legend which tells of how the Dyaks came to know them and to listen +to their cries is given in Chap. XIV. ("The Story of Siu"). + +The system of bird omens as carried out by the Dyaks, is most +complicated, and the younger men have constantly to ask the older ones +how to act when contradictory omens are heard. The law and observance of +omens occupy a great share of the thoughts of the Dyak. + +Some idea of the method in which the Dyaks carry out their system of +omens may be learned from what is done at the beginning of the yearly +rice farming. Some man who has the reputation of being fortunate, and +has had large paddy crops, will be the augur, and undertake to obtain +omens for a large area of land, on which he and others intend to plant. +This man begins his work some time before the Dyaks begin clearing the +ground of jungle and high grass. He will have to hear the cry of the +_Nendak_, the _Katupong_ and the _Beragai_, all on his left. If these +cries come from birds on his right, they are not propitious. He goes +forth in the early morning, and wanders about the jungle till the cry of +the _Nendak_ is heard on his left. He will then break off a twig of +anything growing near, and take it home, and put it in a safe place. But +it may happen that some other omen bird or animal is first to be seen or +heard. In that case he must give the matter up, return, and try his +chance another day. + +Thus, sometimes several days pass before he has obtained his first omen. +When he has heard the _Nendak_, he will then listen for the _Katupong_ +and the other birds in the necessary order. There are always delays +caused by the wrong birds being heard, and it may be a month or more +before he hears all the necessary cries. When the augur has collected a +twig for each necessary omen bird, he takes these to the land selected +for farming, buries them in the ground, and with a short form of address +to the omen birds and to Pulang Gana--the god of the earth--clears a +small portion of the ground of grass or jungle, and then returns home. +The magic virtues of the birds have been conveyed to the land, and the +work of clearing it for planting may be begun at any time. + +The sacred birds can be bad omens as well as good. If heard on the wrong +side, or in the wrong order, the planting on a particular piece of land +must be postponed, or altogether abandoned. + +I have mentioned the omens necessary before planting the seed. In a +similar manner, before beginning to build a house, or starting on a war +expedition, or undertaking any new line of action, certain omens are +required, if good fortune is to attend them and the Fates be propitious. + +The worst of all omens is to find anywhere on the farm the dead body of +any animal included in the omen list. It infuses a deadly poison into +the whole crop. When such a terrible thing happens, the omen is tested +by killing a pig, and divining from the appearance of its liver directly +after death. If the liver be pronounced to be of good omen, then all is +well, but if not, then all the paddy grown on that ground must be sold +or given away. Other people may eat it, for the omen only affects those +who own the crop. + +It is not only to the cry of birds that the Dyaks pay heed. There are +certain animals--the deer, the armadillo, the lizard, the bat, the +python, even the rat, as well as certain insects--which all may give +omens under special circumstances. But these other creatures are +subordinate to the birds, from which alone augury is sought at the +beginning of any important undertaking. + +The Dyak pays heed to these omen creatures, not only in his farming, but +in all his journeyings, and in any kind of work he may be engaged in. If +he be going to visit a friend, the cry of a bird of ill omen will send +him back. If he be engaged in carrying beams from the jungle to his +house, and hear a _Kutok_, or a _Bejampong_ or an _Embuas_, he will at +once throw down the piece of timber. So great is the Dyak belief in +omens, that a man will sometimes abandon a nearly-finished boat simply +because a bird of ill omen flies across its bows. The labour of weeks +will thus be wasted. I have myself seen wooden beams and posts left half +finished in the jungle, and have been told that some omen bird was heard +while the man was at work on them, and so they had to be abandoned. + +There are many omens which make a house unfit for habitation. If a +_Katupong_ fly into it, or a _Beragai_ over the house, or an armadillo +crawls up into it, the Dyaks leave the house and build another for them +to live in. Sometimes, however, they sacrifice a pig, and examine the +liver, and only abandon the house if the liver is considered by experts +to be of bad omen. + + +DREAMS + +The Dyaks place implicit confidence in dreams. Their theory is that +during sleep the soul can hear, see and understand, and so what is +dreamt is what really takes place. When anyone dreams of a distant land, +they believe that his soul has paid a flying visit to that land. + +In dreams, also, the gods and spirits are supposed to bring charms to +human beings. The story is often told of how a man falls asleep and +dreams that a spirit came to him and gave certain charms, and lo! when +he awakes, he finds them in his hands. Or else he is told in a dream to +go to a certain spot at a special time and pick up some stone there, +which will have some mysterious influence for good over his fortunes. + +Dreams are looked upon by the Dyaks as the means the gods and spirits +use to convey their commands to men, or to warn them of coming danger. +Houses are often deserted, and farming land, on which much labour has +been spent, abandoned on account of dreams. Newly married couples often +separate from the same cause. It is no unusual thing for a man or a +woman to dream that the spirits are hungry and need food. In that case +the inmates of the Dyak house organize a feast, and offerings are made +to the hungry spirits. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +MARRIAGES AND BURIALS + + +Marriages in all countries are occasions of rejoicing, and it is the +same among the Dyaks. The principal part of the ceremony is the fetching +of the bride from her father's to the bridegroom's house. The women-folk +of the village, who are friends of the bridegroom's family, set out in a +boat, gaily decorated with an awning of parti-coloured sheets, and with +streamers and flags flying, to an accompaniment of gongs and drums and +musical instruments, to fetch the bride to her future home. + +When the boat arrives at the landing-stage of the bride's house, they +all walk up--a gaily dressed crowd--and are welcomed into the house. +Here they sit down and talk over the future prospects of the young +couple, chewing betel-nut and _sireh_ (a kind of pepper leaf) all the +time. A portion of these chewing ingredients are carefully set aside to +be used later on. The Dyak with his great love for divination, cannot +allow such an occasion to pass without some attempt to find out the +secrets of the future. + +[Illustration: IN WEDDING FINERY] + +The company all sit down in the long common hall of the Dyak house, and +the betel-nut, _sireh_, etc., specially set aside for the ceremony, are +brought forward. A betel-nut is split into seven pieces by one supposed +to be lucky in matrimonial matters, and these, together with the other +ingredients of the betel-nut mixture, are all put in a little basket, +which is bound together with red cloth, and laid for a short time upon +the open platform adjoining the house. + +The Master of the Ceremonies, who splits the betel-nut, then makes a +little speech, telling the assembled guests that if either party should +desert the other without sufficient reason, the offending party shall be +fined such an amount as has been agreed upon. + +The basket containing the split pieces of betel-nut is then brought in +and uncovered, and the contents examined to ascertain the will of the +gods. Should the pieces of betel-nut, by some mystic power, increase in +number, the marriage will be an unusually happy one; but should they +decrease, it is a bad omen, and the marriage must be postponed or +relinquished altogether. But, as a matter of fact, they neither increase +nor decrease, and this is taken to mean that the wedding is one upon +which the spirits have pronounced neither a good nor a bad verdict. + +This action gives the name to the marriage ceremony. The Dyaks call +marriage _Mlah Pinang_--"spitting the betel-nut." + +The contents of the little basket, used to discover the will of the +higher powers, is chewed by those present just as other _pinang_ and +_sireh_, and the marriage ceremony is over; the young couple are +lawfully man and wife. + +For the wedding, the bride decks herself out in all the finery she +possesses, or can borrow from her friends. Her wedding-dress consists of +a short petticoat of Dyak-woven cloth, which reaches to her knees. Along +the bottom edge of this there are sewed several rows of tinsel, and of +silver coins, below which probably hang some rows of hawk-bells, which +make a tinkling sound as she walks. Round her waist are several coils +of brass or silver chain, and two or three belts made of dollars or +other silver coins linked together. From her hips upwards, as far as her +armpits, she wears a corset formed by threading split cane through a +great number of small brass rings, arranged so closely together as to +completely hide the cane. To this corset may be fixed two or three bands +of silver coins. Her armlets of brass or silver extend as far up as her +elbow. As many rings as she possesses are on her fingers, and she wears +necklaces of small beads, worked in very beautiful patterns, and +finished off with a tassel of beads, or else a large number of big +silver or brass buttons strung together round her neck. Her ears are +decorated with filigreed studs of silver gilt, with a setting of scarlet +cloth behind the filigree work to show them off. + +In her hair is a towering comb of silver filigree work, to which are +attached a number of silver spangles, which glitter with every movement +of her head. She wears her hair in a knot into which are stuck a number +of large brass hair-pins, decorated with beads and little tags of red +and yellow and white cloth. She possesses a bright coloured jacket of +Dyak-woven cloth; but she does not wear it, it is slung over her right +shoulder. + +After this detailed description of the bride's dress, it is +disappointing to learn that the bridegroom takes no special pains to +ornament his person. The men wear a great deal of finery when they +attend a feast, or when they go on the war-path, but on the occasion of +his wedding, the bridegroom takes no extra trouble over his apparel. + + +BURIALS + +As soon as a man dies, the professional mourner sits on a swing near the +head of the corpse and sings a long dirge, blaming the different parts +of the house, beginning with the roof-ridge and proceeding downwards, +for not keeping back the soul of the dead man. + +Then the corpse is carried out into the public part of the house, and is +covered with a Dyak sheet. By his side are put his belongings--his +clothes, his implements of work, his shield, his sword, his spear--which +are to be buried with him, or placed on his grave. + +Early the following morning the body, wrapped in mats, and secured with +a light framework of wood, is carried on the shoulders of four men, and, +accompanied by their friends, they go to the jungle. When they come to +the spot where a tree is to be cut down for the coffin, a halt is made. +A fowl is killed, and the blood collected in a cup, and mixed with a +little water. Each person present is touched with the blood, to +propitiate the gods, and to secure safety from any evil consequences to +the persons engaged in the funeral rites. They now set to work to make +the coffin. A tree is felled and the required length cut off. This is +split in two, and each half is hollowed out. The corpse is then placed +inside this rude coffin, the two parts of which are now firmly lashed +together with cane. + +They then proceed either on foot or by boat to the place of burial. The +trees in a Dyak burial-ground are not cut down, so there is nothing to +distinguish it from any ordinary jungle. The Dyaks regard a cemetery +with superstitious terror as the abode of spirits, and never go to it +except to bury their dead, and when they do this, they do not stay +longer than they can help, but hurry away lest they should meet some +spirit from the other world. + +The graves are rarely more than three feet deep. The Dyaks dare not step +into the grave to deepen it, because, according to their superstitious +ideas, any one who does such a thing will die a violent death. They use +no spade or hoe to turn up the earth, but cut the soil with their +choppers, and throw up the mould with their hands. They dig the grave as +far as their arms will reach, and no farther. + +When the corpse is buried, there are placed either in the grave or on +it, for use in the next world, various articles of clothing, personal +ornaments, weapons of warfare, implements of farm work, and even +instruments of music, according to the sex and natural proclivities of +the dead. Some of these belong to the departed; others are given by +friends as tokens of affection. + +When the grave has been filled with earth, it is fenced round, and food +and drink are placed in the enclosure, and at either end something is +put to indicate the sex and favourite occupation of the deceased. If the +grave be that of a warrior, it is roofed and decorated with streamers, +and such of his weapons as are not buried with him are hung about, and +the ground around is palisaded and spiked. The grave of the hunter is +distinguished by his spear, his blow-pipe and quiver, together with the +trophies of the chase--stags' antlers, and boars' tusks. Some articles +of feminine attire or work--spindles, petticoats, waist-rings, or +water-gourds--indicate the graves of women. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +A DYAK LEGEND + + +There are many fairy-tales and legends known to the Dyaks of the present +day. As they have no written language, these have been handed down by +word of mouth, from generation to generation, from ancient times. These +tales and legends may be divided into two classes: 1. Those which are +mythical and related as such, which are simply meant to interest and +amuse, and in these respects resemble the fairy-tales familiar to us +all. 2. And those believed by them to be perfectly true, and to record +events which have actually taken place. These form in fact the mythology +of the Dyaks. The following legend is related by them as explaining how +they came to plant rice, and to observe the omens of birds: + + +THE STORY OF SIU + +Many thousands of years ago, before the paddy plant was known, the Dyaks +lived on tapioca, yams, potatoes and such fruit as they could find in +the jungle. It was not till Siu taught them to plant paddy[3] that such +a thing as rice was known. The story of how he came to know this article +of food, and how he and his son, Seragunting, introduced it among the +Dyaks is here set forth. + + [Footnote 3: Paddy--rice in the husk.] + +Siu was the son of a great Dyak chief. His father died when he was quite +a child, and at the time this story begins, he had grown to manhood, and +lived with his mother, and was the head of a long Dyak house in which +lived some three hundred families. He was strong and active, and +handsome in appearance, and there was no one in the country round equal +to him either in strength or comeliness. + +He proposed to the young men of his house that they should take their +blow-pipes and darts and go into the jungle to shoot birds. So one +morning they all started early. Each man had with him his bundle of food +for the day, and each went a different way, as they wished to see, on +returning in the evening, who would be the most successful of them all. + +Siu wandered about the whole morning in the jungle, but, strange to say, +he did not see any bird, nor did he meet with any animal. Worn out with +fatigue, he sat down to rest under a large tree, and, feeling hungry, he +ate some of the food he had brought with him. It was now long past +midday, and he had not succeeded in killing a single bird! Suddenly he +heard, not far off, the sound of birds, and hurrying in that direction, +he came to a wild fig-tree covered with ripe fruit, which a very large +number of birds were busy eating. Never before had he seen such a sight! +On this one tree the whole feathered population of the forest seemed to +have assembled together! + +[Illustration: KILLING BIRDS WITH A BLOW-PIPE] + +Siu hid himself under the thick leaves of a shrub growing near, and +taking a poisoned dart, he placed it in his blow-pipe and shot it out. +He had aimed at one bird and hit it. But that bird was not the only one +that fell dead at his feet. To his astonishment, he saw that many of the +other birds near it were killed also. Again he shot out a dart, and +again the same thing happened. In a very short time, Siu had killed as +many birds as he could carry. + +He tried to return the same way he came, but soon found himself in +difficulties. He wandered about, and walked several miles, but could not +find the jungle path which he had followed early in the day. It was +beginning to grow dusk, and Siu was afraid he would have to spend the +night in the jungle. + +Great was his joy, just as he was giving up all hope, to come to a +garden and a path leading from it. Siu followed this path, knowing it +would lead him to some house not far off. He soon came to a well, and +near at hand he saw the lights of a long Dyak house. He stopped to have +a bath, and hid the birds he was carrying, and his blow-pipe and quiver +in the brushwood near the well, hoping to take them with him when he +started to return the next morning. + +He walked up to the house, and when he came to the bottom of the ladder +leading up to it he shouted: "Oh, you people in the house, will you +allow a stranger to walk up?" A voice answered, "Yes; come up!" + +He walked up into the house. To his surprise he saw no one in the long +public hall in front of the different rooms. That part of a Dyak house, +usually so crowded, was quite empty. All was silent. Even the person who +answered him was not there to receive him. + +He saw a dim light further on, and walked towards it, wondering what +had happened to all the people of the house. Presently he heard a +woman's voice in the room say: "Sit down, Siu; I will bring out the +_pinang_[4] and _sireh_[5] to you." Soon a young and remarkably pretty +girl came out of the room with the chewing ingredients, which she placed +before him. + + [Footnote 4: _Pinang_--betel-nut.] + + [Footnote 5: _Sireh_--a kind of pepper-leaf which the Dyaks are + fond of eating with betel-nut.] + +"Here you are at last, Siu," she said; "I expected you would come +earlier. How is it you are so late?" + +Siu explained that he had stopped at the well to have a bath, as he was +hot and tired. + +"You must be very hungry," said the girl; "wait a moment while I prepare +some food. After you have eaten, we can have our talk together." + +When Siu was left to himself, he wondered what it all meant. Here was a +long Dyak house built for more than a hundred families to live in, and +yet it seemed quite deserted. The only person in it appeared to be the +beautiful girl who was cooking his food for him. He was also surprised +that she knew his name, and expected him that day. + +"Come in, Siu," said the voice from the room; "your food is ready." + +Siu was hungry, and went in at once. When they had done eating, she +cleared away the plates and tidied the room. Then she spread out a new +mat for him, and brought out the _pinang_ and _sireh_, and bade him be +seated as she wished to have a chat with him. + +Siu had many questions to ask, but before he could do so, she said to +him, "Tell me of your own people, and what news you bring from your +country." + +"There is no news to give you," Siu replied. "We have been rather badly +off for food, as our potatoes and yams did not turn out so well this +year as we hoped." + +"Tell me what made you come in this direction, and how it was you found +out this house." + +"While I was hunting in the jungle to-day, I lost my way. After +wandering about a long time, I found a path which I followed and came to +this house. It was kind of you to take me in and give me food. If I had +not found this house, I should have had to spend the night in the +jungle. To-morrow morning you must show me the way back to my village. +My mother is sure to be anxious about me. She is left all alone now that +I am away. My father died a long time ago, and I am her only son." + +"Do not go away as soon as to-morrow morning. Stay here a few days at +any rate." + +At first Siu would not consent, but she spoke so nicely to him, that she +persuaded him to stay there at least a week. Then he went out to the +verandah, and she brought out a mat for him to sleep on, and a sheet to +cover himself with. As Siu was very tired, he soon fell sound asleep, +and did not wake up till late the following morning. + +Now, though Siu knew it not, this was the house of the great Singalang +Burong, the ruler of the spirit-world. He was able to change himself and +his followers into any form. When going forth on an expedition against +the enemy, he would transform himself and his followers into birds, so +that they might travel more quickly. Over the high trees of the jungle, +over the broad rivers, sometimes even across the sea, Singalang Burong +and his flock would fly. There was no trouble about food, for in the +forests there were always some wild trees in fruit, and while assuming +the form of birds, they lived on the food of birds. In his own house and +among his own people, Singalang Burong appeared as a man. He had eight +daughters, and the girl who had cooked food for Siu was the youngest of +them. + +After Siu had been in the house seven days, he thought he ought to be +returning to his own people. By this time he was very much in love with +the girl who had been so kind to him, and he wished above all things to +marry her, and take her back with him to his own country. + +"I have been here a whole week," he said to her, "I want to say +something, and I hope you will not be vexed with me." + +"Speak on; I promise not to be angry at anything you say." + +"I have learnt to love you very much," said Siu, "and I would like to +marry you, if you will consent, and take you with me to my own land. +Also, I wish you to tell me your name, and why this house is so silent, +and where all the people belonging to it are." + +"I will consent to marry you, for I also love you. But you must first +promise me certain things. In the first place, you must not tell your +people of this house, and what you have seen here. Then you must promise +faithfully not to hurt a bird or even to hold one in your hands. If ever +you break these promises, then we cease to be man and wife." + +"Yes," said Siu, "I promise not to speak of what I have seen here until +you give me leave to do so. And as you do not wish it, I will never +hurt or handle a bird." + +"Now that you have promised what I wish, I will tell you of myself and +the people of this house," said the maiden. "I am known to my friends as +_Bunsu Burong_ (the youngest of the bird family), or _Bunsu Katupong_ +(the youngest of the _Katupong_ family). This house as you noticed seems +very empty. The reason is that a month ago many of our people were +killed by some of the people in your house, and we are still in mourning +for them. As you know when our relatives have lately died, we stay +silent in our rooms, and do not come out to receive visitors or +entertain them. On the morning of the day on which you arrived, all the +men of this house went on the war-path, so as to obtain some human +heads, to enable us to put away our mourning. With us as with you, it is +necessary that one or more human heads be brought into the house before +the inmates can give up sorrowing for their dead relatives and friends. +All the people in this house, when at home, are in the form of human +beings, but they are able to transform themselves into birds. My father, +Singalang Burong, is the head of this house. I am the youngest of eight +sisters. We have no brothers alive; our only brother died not long ago, +and we are still in mourning for him, and that is the reason why my +sisters did not come out to greet you." + +Siu heard with surprise all she had to say. He thought to himself that +it was lucky he did not bring up to the house the birds which he had +killed in the jungle, and that he had hidden them with his blow-pipe and +quiver containing poisoned darts in the brushwood near the well. He +determined to say nothing about the matter, as probably some of her +friends and relations were among the birds that were killed by him. + +So Siu married Bunsu Burong, and continued to live in the house for +several weeks. + +One day he said to his wife, "I have been here a long time. My people +must surely be wondering where I am, and whether I am still alive. My +mother too must be very anxious about me. I should like to return to my +people, and I want you to accompany me. My mother and my friends are +sure to welcome you as my wife." + +"Oh, yes, I will gladly accompany you back to your home. But you must +remember and say nothing of the things you have seen or heard in this +house." + +They started early the next day, taking with them enough food for four +days, as they expected the journey would last as long as that. Siu's +wife seemed to know the way, and after journeying three days, they came +to the stream near the house, and they stopped to have a bath. Some of +the children of the house saw them there, and ran up to the house and +said: "Siu has come back, and with him is a beautiful woman, who seems +to be his wife." + +Some of the older people checked the children, saying: "It cannot be +Siu; he has been dead for a long time. Don't mention his name, for if +his mother hears you talk of him, it will make her very unhappy." + +But the children persisted in saying that it was indeed Siu that they +had seen. Just then Siu and his wife appeared and walked up into the +house. + +Siu said to his wife: "The door before which I hang up my sword is the +door of my room. Walk straight in. You will find my mother there, and +she will gladly welcome you as her daughter-in-law." + +When they came into the house, all the inmates rushed out to meet them, +and to congratulate Siu on his safe return. They asked him many +questions: Where had he been living all this time? How he came to be +married? And what was the name of his wife's country? But Siu answered +little, as he remembered the promise he had made to his wife, that he +would not speak of what he had seen in her house. + +When Siu hung up his sword, his wife pushed open the door and walked in. +Siu's mother was very pleased to see her son, whom she had mourned as +dead, alive and well, and when told of his marriage, she welcomed his +wife with joy. + +In process of time Siu's wife bore him a son, whom they named +Seragunting. He was a fine child, and as befitted the grandson of +Singalang Burong, he grew big and strong in a miraculously short time, +and when he was three years old, he was taller and stronger than others +four times his age. + +One day as Seragunting was playing with the other boys, a man brought +some birds which he had caught in a trap. As he walked through the +house, he passed Siu who was sitting in the open verandah. Siu, +forgetting the promise he had made to his wife, asked to see the birds, +and he took one in his hands and stroked it. His wife was sitting near, +and she saw him hold the bird, and was very vexed that he had broken his +promise to her. + +She said to herself: "My husband has broken his word to me. He has done +the thing he promised me he would never do. I cannot stay in this house +any longer. I must return to the house of my father, Singalang Burong." + +She took the water-vessels in her hands, and went out as if to fetch +water. But when she came to the well, she placed the water-gourds on the +ground, and disappeared into the jungle. + +In the meantime, Seragunting, tired with his play, came back in search +of his mother. She was very fond indeed of him, and he expected her to +come to him as soon as he called out to her. But he was disappointed. No +one answered his call, and when he looked into the room, she was not +there. He asked his father where his mother was, and he told him she had +gone to the well to fetch water and would soon be back. + +But hour after hour passed and she did not return. So Seragunting asked +his father to accompany him to the well to look for her. They found the +water-vessels there, but saw no signs of her. So they both returned +sadly to the house, taking back with them the water-gourds which Siu's +wife had left at the well. + +Early the next day Seragunting and his father went in search of her. +They took with them only a little food, as they expected to find her not +far off. But they wandered the whole day, and saw no signs of her. + +They spent the night under a large tree in the jungle. Early the next +morning they were surprised to find a small bundle of food, wrapped up +in leaves, near Seragunting. The food was evidently meant for him alone, +as it was not enough for two, but he gave some of it to his father, who +ate sparingly of it, so that his son might not be hungry. They wandered +on for several days, and every night the same thing occurred--a bundle +of food was placed near Seragunting. + +After journeying many days, they came to the sea-shore. Siu suggested to +his son that they should return, but Seragunting, who during the journey +had grown up into a strong lad with a will of his own, would not consent +to do so, as he was determined to find his mother. + +After waiting by the shore a few days, they saw a dark cloud come to +them over the sea. As it came nearer, it took the form of a gigantic +Spider, carrying some food and clothes. + +"Do not be afraid," said the Spider, "I have come to help you and your +father. I have brought you food and clothing. When you have eaten, and +changed your clothes, I will take you to the land on the other side." + +They were told to follow the Spider. They did so. Strange to say, the +water became as hard as a sand-bank under their feet. For a long time +they were out of sight of land, but towards evening they approached the +opposite shore. They saw several houses and one larger and more imposing +than the others. To this house the Spider directed Seragunting telling +him he would find his mother there. + +Seragunting's mother was very glad to see her son and embraced him. + +"How was it you went away and left us?" he said. "We missed you so much, +and have travelled many days and nights in search of you. Now our +troubles are over, for I have found you." + +"My dear son," she said as she caressed him, "though I left you, I did +not forget you. It was I who placed the food by you every night. I left +your father because he broke his promise to me. But you are my own son, +and I have been wishing to see you ever since I left your house. It was +I who sent the Spider to help you and show you your way here." + +Then she spoke to her husband Siu, whom she was glad to meet again. All +three then went out into the verandah, which was now full of people. + +Seragunting was told by his mother to call the sons-in-law of Singalang +Burong his uncles, but they refused to acknowledge him as their nephew. +They proposed several ordeals to prove the truth of his words that he +was indeed the grandson of Singalang Burong. In all these Seragunting +came off victorious, and they were compelled to admit that he was a true +grandson of the great Singalang Burong. + +But Siu was unhappy in his new home. He could not help thinking of his +mother, whom he had left alone, and he was anxious to return to his own +people. He begged his wife to accompany him back to his old home, but +she refused to do so. It was decided that Siu and his son should stay +with Singalang Burong till they had obtained such knowledge as would be +useful to them in the future, and that then they were to return to the +other world, taking with them the secrets they had learnt. + +All the people of the house were now most kind to Siu and his son, and +were most anxious to teach them all they could. They were taken on a war +expedition against the enemy, so that they might learn the science and +art of Dyak warfare. They were taught how to set traps to catch deer and +wild pig. They were shown the different methods of catching fish, and +learnt to make the different kinds of fish-trap used by Dyaks of the +present day, and they remained in Singalang Burong's house that whole +year for the purpose of acquiring a complete and practical knowledge of +the different stages of paddy growing. + +When the year was ended, Seragunting's mother took him and Siu to see +her father. Singalang Burong was seated in his chair of state, and +received them most kindly. He explained to Siu who he was, and the +worship due to him, and they learnt also about the observance of omens, +both good and bad. + +"I am the ruler of the spirit-world," said Singalang Burong, "and have +power to make men successful in all they undertake. At all times if you +wish for my help, you must call upon me and make offerings to me. + +"You have learnt here how to plant paddy. I will give you some paddy to +take away with you, and when you get back to your own country, you can +teach men how to cultivate it. You will find rice a much more +strengthening article of food than the yams and potatoes you used to +live upon, and you will become a strong and hardy race. + +"And to help you in your daily work, my sons-in-law will always tell you +whether what you do is right or wrong. In every work that you undertake, +you must pay heed to the voices of the sacred birds--_Katupong_, +_Beragai_, _Bejampong_, _Papau_, _Nendak_, _Kutok_ and _Embuas_. These +birds, named after my sons-in-law, represent them, and are the means by +which I make known my wishes to mankind. When you hear them, remember it +is myself speaking to you, through my sons-in-law, for encouragement or +for warning. I am willing to help you, but I expect due respect to be +paid to me, and will not allow my commands to be disobeyed." + +Siu and Seragunting bade their friends farewell, and started to return. +As soon as they had descended the ladder of the house of Singalang +Burong, they were swiftly transported through the air by some mysterious +power, and in a moment they found themselves at their own house. + +Their friends crowded round them, glad to see them back safe and well. +The neighbours were told of their return, and a great meeting was held +that evening. All gathered round the two adventurers, who told them of +their strange experiences in the far country of the spirit birds. The +new seed, paddy, was produced, and the good qualities of rice as an +article of food explained. The different names of the sacred birds were +told to the assembled people, and all were warned to pay due respect to +their cries. + +And so, according to the ancient legend, ended the old primitive life of +the Dyak, when he lived upon such poor food as the fruits of the jungle, +and any yams or potatoes he happened to plant near the house; the old +blind existence in which there was nothing to guide him; and then began +for him his new life, in which he advanced forward a step, and learnt to +have regularly, year by year, his seed-time and harvest, and to know +there were unseen powers ruling the universe, whose will might be learnt +by man, and obedience to whom would bring success and happiness. + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +DYAK BELIEFS AND SUPERSTITIONS + + +The Dyaks do not worship idols, but they believe in certain gods and +spirits, who are supposed to rule over different departments of life, +and to these deities they make offerings and sing incantations at +certain times. + +The following are the more important gods among the Dyaks. + +Singalang Burong takes the highest position in honour and dignity, and +is the ruler of the spirit-world. It is doubtful what the word +_Singalang_ means, but _Burong_ means "bird," and probably _Singalang +Burong_ means "Bird Chief." The Dyaks are great observers of omens (see +Chapter XII.), and among their omens the cries of certain birds are most +important. + +Singalang Burong is also the god of war, and the guardian spirit of +brave men. He delights in fighting, and head-taking is his glory. When +Dyaks have obtained a human head, they make a great feast to the honour +of this god and invoke his presence. He is the only god ever represented +by the Dyaks in a material form--a carved, highly-coloured bird of +grotesque shape. This figure at the _Head Feast_ is erected on the top +of a pole, thirty feet or more in height, with its beak pointing in the +direction of the enemy's country, so that he may "peck at the eyes of +the enemy." + +Next in importance to Singalang Burong is Pulang Gana, who is the god of +the earth. He is an important power according to Dyak ideas, and to him +offerings are made and incantations sung at all feasts connected with +_Farming_. They are entirely dependent upon his goodwill for a good +harvest. + +Salampandai is the maker of men. He hammers them into shape out of clay, +and forms the bodies of children to be born into the world. There is an +insect which makes at night the curious noise--_kink-a-clink_, +_kink-a-clink_. When the Dyaks hear this, they say it is Salampandai at +his work. When each child is formed, it is brought to the gods who ask, +"What would you like to handle or use?" If it answer, "A sword," the +gods pronounce it a male; but if it answer, "Cotton and the +spinning-wheel," it is pronounced a female. Thus they are born as boys +or girls according to their own wishes. + +[Illustration: A DYAK YOUTH] + +The Dyak believes in the existence of spirits, and he thinks that +innumerable spirits inhabit the forests, the rivers, the earth, and the +air. Any unusual noise or motion in the jungle, anything which suggests +to the mind some invisible operation, is at once attributed by the Dyak +to the presence of some spirit, unseen by human eyes, but full of mighty +power. Though generally invisible, these spirits sometimes show +themselves. The form they assume then is not anything very supernatural, +but either a commonplace human form or else some animal--a bird, or a +monkey--such as is often seen in the forests. There is, however, the +chief of evil spirits, Girgasi by name, who, when seen, takes the form +of a giant about three times the size of a man, is covered with rough, +shaggy hair, and has eyes as big as saucers, and huge glittering teeth. + +There are innumerable stories told by Dyaks of their meeting with +spirits in the jungle, and sometimes speaking to them. Such stories +generally relate how the man who sees the spirit rushes to catch him by +the leg--he cannot reach higher--in order to get some charm from him, +but he is generally foiled in his attempt, as the spirit suddenly +vanishes. But some men, it is believed, do obtain gifts from the +spirits. If a Dyak gets a good harvest, it is attributed to some magic +charm he has received from some kindly spirit. Also, if he be successful +on the war-path, he is credited with the succour of some mysterious +being from the spirit-world. + +The spirits, according to the Dyaks, rove about the jungle and hunt for +wild beasts, as the Dyaks do themselves. Girgasi, already mentioned, is +specially addicted to the chase, and the Dyaks say he is often to be met +hunting in the forest. There are certain animals who roam about in packs +in the jungle. These are supposed to be the dogs which accompany the +spirits when they are out hunting, and they attack those whom the +spirits wish to kill. I have never seen one of these animals, but to +judge from the description of them, they seem to be a kind of small +jackal. They will follow and bark at men, and from their supposed +connection with the spirits, are greatly feared by the Dyaks, who +generally run away from them as fast as they can. + +The spirits are said to build their invisible habitations in trees, and +many trees are considered sacred, as being the abode of one or more +spirits, and to cut one of these trees down would be to provoke the +spirits' anger. The tops of hills are supposed to be the favourite +haunts of spirits. When Dyaks fell the jungle of the larger hills, they +always leave a clump of trees at the summit as a refuge for the spirits. +To leave them quite homeless would be to court certain disaster from +them. + +From what has been said it will be seen that the spirits are much the +same as their gods, and have power either to bestow favours, or cause +sickness and death. They rule the conduct of the Dyak, and therefore +receive the same religious homage as their gods do. + +The Dyak worships his gods. He has good spirits to help him, and evil +spirits to harm him. He makes sacrifices to the gods and spirits, and +invokes their help in long incantations. He has omens and divination and +dreams to encourage or warn him. He believes he has a soul which will +live in another world, a future life differing little from his existence +in the flesh. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +CONCLUSION + + +I have tried to tell you in the preceding chapters what the Dyaks of +Borneo are like, how they live, and what their religious ideas are. It +is sad to think of them living in constant fear of evil spirits, and +believing in such things as the omens of birds. All Christians must wish +these people to be taught about God. Christ came to earth to teach us +the Truths of the Gospel, and before He returned to Heaven, He told His +disciples, and, through His disciples, all Christians: "Go ye therefore, +and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of +the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things +whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto +the end of the world." In obedience to this command, missionaries have +gone out to Borneo, and many people in England, who are not able to go +out to Borneo themselves, help in the good work by subscribing money to +the "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts," which +sends missionaries to Borneo. Many of these missionaries live up-country +at some mission station far from the town. Here there is a mission house +where the missionary lives, a church where regular services are held, +and a school house where boys live and are taught. + +As many of the long Dyak village houses are built at great distances +from each other, the missionary, who wishes to do good work among the +Dyaks, must not always live at his mission house, but must travel from +house to house. Only by visiting distant villages, and living with the +Dyaks as their guest, can the missionary learn to understand the people. + +Let me tell you a missionary story. A missionary in Borneo visited a +Dyak village house to teach the people there about God and our Lord +Jesus Christ. A crowd of men, women and children listened to him, and +many a long evening did the missionary spend, sitting on a mat in the +long public verandah of the Dyak house, and teaching those poor ignorant +people. A Dyak boy present asked the missionary if he might go back with +him to his school. The parents gave their consent, and the little boy +accompanied the missionary on his return to his mission house, and +attended the mission school. There, with other children, the boy was +taught the Truths of the Christian Religion. After being in school for a +few years, this boy returned to his Dyak home. + +Years passed. The boy did not forget what he had been taught at school. +He saw the Dyaks among whom he lived, ruled by a fear of evil spirits, +and carrying out many superstitious ceremonies, which he knew must be +displeasing to God. As he grew older, he felt sad to think of the +ignorance of his relatives and friends, and of the Dyaks in other +villages. So he went back to the missionary and asked that he should be +taught more, so that, later on, he might teach his own people, and bring +some of them into God's Kingdom. + +This is a true story of what has happened more than once in Borneo. A +boy learns about God in some up-country mission school, and on his +return to his Dyak home, is sorry to see the ignorance of his people, +and asks to be taught more, so that he may become a Catechist and carry +God's Truth to them. + +When the seed is sown, it lies in the ground, and God sends the sunshine +and the rain to make it grow. So the Good Seed of the Word of God is +sown in the hearts of the Dyaks in Borneo, and we pray the Great Giver +of the Water of Life to refresh it with His Life-giving Holy Spirit. +Some seeds fall on the wayside, and the birds of the air devour them; +some fall on a rock, and are scorched by the heat of the sun; some fall +among thorns, and are choked; but, thank God, some fall on good ground +and bring forth good fruit. + +The Good Seed of God's Word is being sown among the old and young in +Borneo. Will you not take a share in that good work? + + + + +BY THE SAME AUTHOR. + + +SEVENTEEN YEARS AMONG THE SEA DYAKS OF BORNEO. + +A RECORD OF INTIMATE ASSOCIATION WITH THE NATIVES OF THE BORNEAN +JUNGLES. + +With 40 Illustrations and a Map. + +MESSRS SEELEY & CO., LTD., 38 GREAT RUSSELL ST., LONDON, W.C. + +_Price_ 16/- _nett._ + + +SOME OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. + +"Contains probably the most intimate and comprehensive account that has +yet appeared of the Sea Dyaks of Sarawak.... It is so pleasantly written +that the reader forgets that it is learned."--_The Times._ + +"We heartily commend this book to the learned public."--_The Athenaeum._ + +"The author has been completely successful."--_The Bookman._ + +"Pleasant to read, and gives a really good account of an interesting +race."--_The Illustrated London News._ + +"Mr Gomes is a skilled and gifted investigator, and his book is a +valuable contribution to Eastern anthropology."--_The Outlook._ + +"Let our quotations serve to introduce a book as fascinating as it is +authoritative."--_The Sketch._ + +"Mr Gomes' book is no hasty piece of work; it is the result of seventeen +years spent in Sarawak.... Mr Gomes gives a very full account of the +whole culture and life of the Sea Dyaks."--_The Saturday Review._ + +"It is emphatically good. Mr Gomes speaks as one having authority. He +has certainly unique experience, sympathy, insight, comprehension, a +sense of proportion, and he is not without the quality of humour and +dramatic instinct, and his style, simple and clear, is not without +literary distinction. He has produced a book that ought to take high +rank."--_The Englishman (Calcutta)._ + +"Mr E. H. Gomes' absorbing book."--_The Daily Mail._ + + + + +SOME NOTABLE BOOKS +ON FOREIGN MISSIONS +FROM THE CATALOGUE OF OLIPHANT, +ANDERSON & FERRIER +100 PRINCES STREET, EDINBURGH +21 PATERNOSTER SQUARE, LONDON + + +A HISTORY OF MISSIONS IN INDIA. By JULIUS RICHTER, D.D. Translated by +_Sydney H. Moore_, Master in the School for Sons of Missionaries, +Blackheath. Demy 8vo, with map 10s 6d + + "Will be indispensable to all students of Indian Missions. It is + singularly interesting."--_London Quarterly Review._ + + +THE PEN OF BRAHMA. Peeps into Hindu Hearts and Homes. By BEATRICE M. +HARBAND, Author of "Daughters of Darkness in Sunny India," etc. Large +crown 8vo, cloth extra, with Illustrations 3s 6d _net_ + + +HOLY HIMALAYA. The Religion, Traditions, and Scenery of the Provinces of +Kumaun and Garhwal. By the REV. E. S. OAKLEY, of the London Missionary +Society, Almora, Northern India. With 16 full-page Illustrations, Large +crown 8vo, cloth extra 5s _net_ + + +DAYLIGHT IN THE HAREM. Papers on Present-day Reform Movements, +Conditions, and Methods of Work among Moslem Women read at the Lucknow +Conference, 1911. Edited by ANNIE VAN SOMMER, A. DE SELINCOURT and S. M. +ZWEMER, D.D., F.R.G.S. Illustrated, crown 8vo, cloth 3s 6d _net_ + + +CHILDREN OF CEYLON. By THOMAS MOSCROP. (The Children's Missionary +Series.) Large crown 8vo, with eight Coloured Illustrations, cloth 1s 6d +_net_ + + +THE MOSLEM DOCTRINE OF GOD. A Treatise on the Character and Attributes +of Allah according to the Koran and Orthodox Tradition. 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Fourth Edition 7s 6d + + +THE ANALECTS OF CONFUCIUS. A new translation by WILLIAM EDWARD SOOTHILL, +Principal of the Imperial University, Shansi; Compiler of the "Student's +Pocket Dictionary," Translator of the "Wenchow New Testament," and +Author of "A Mission in China," etc. Large crown 8vo, cloth 15s _net_ + + The Discourses, commonly known as the Analects, contain the + sayings of the Sage as recorded by his disciples. The Analects + holds a somewhat similar relation to the Confucian Classics that + the synoptic books of the New Testament hold to the whole Bible, + and, like the Gospels, is the most popular book of the Canon. + + +THE ORIGINAL RELIGION OF CHINA. By JOHN ROSS, D.D., Author of "Mission +Methods in Manchuria." With Diagrams from Original Plans, and other +Illustrations. Large crown 8vo, cloth extra 5s _net_ + + A satisfactory account of the Earliest Religion of China can be + found nowhere at present except in a voluminous work by de Groot. + Students of Comparative Religion will undoubtedly be grateful for + the publication of this exceedingly valuable book, and there are + missionaries and many others who will find it very serviceable. + + +THE MARVELLOUS STORY OF THE REVIVAL IN MANCHURIA. Transcribed by JOHN +ROSS, D.D., from the letters of the Rev. JAMES WEBSTER. With Portraits +6d _net_ + + +THE LORE OF CATHAY; or, the Intellect of China. In five parts. Arts and +Science, Literature, Philosophy and Religion, Education, History. By the +Rev. W. A. P. MARTIN, D.D., LL.D., Author of "A Cycle of Cathay," etc. +10s 6d + + "'The time,' writes Dr Martin, 'is not, I trust, far distant when + the language of China will find a place in all our principal seats + of learning, and when her classic writers will be known and + appreciated. Nothing should tend more to hasten the advent of that + time than the broad sympathy, informed with knowledge, which + enables writers like Dr Martin to show how much of human interest + attaches to 'The Lore of Cathay.'"--_The Times._ + + +EAST OF THE BARRIER; or, Side Lights on the Manchuria Mission. By the +Rev. J. MILLER GRAHAM, Missionary of the United Free Church of Scotland, +Moukden, Manchuria. Crown 8vo, with Illustrations and Map 3s 6d + + "A book which takes rank among the most interesting, practical, + and well-informed books of missionary travel which has appeared of + late years. A series of excellent photographs gives additional + charm to a book which holds the interest from the first page to + the last."--_Sunday School Chronicle._ + + +THE HEATHEN HEART: An Account of the Reception of the Gospel among the +Chinese of Formosa. By CAMPBELL N. MOODY, M.A. Large crown 8vo, cloth +extra, with Illustrations 3s 6d _net_ + + "The most illuminating book on missions I have ever read."--Rev. + W. M. CLOW + + +THE SAINTS OF FORMOSA: Life and Worship in a Chinese Church. By CAMPBELL +N. MOODY, M.A., Author of "The Heathen Heart." Large crown 8vo, cloth +extra, with ten Illustrations 3s 6d _net_ + + "A charming book.... When Mr Moody tells us of the missionary side + of his experience he is not less interesting than when he speaks + of more general subjects."--_The Spectator._ + + +FROM FAR FORMOSA: The Island, its People and Missions, By GEORGE LESLIE +MACKAY, D.D. New and Cheaper Edition, large crown 8vo, art canvas +binding. With four Maps and sixteen Illustrations 5s + + "One of the most interesting books on missions we have ever come + across.... A thoroughly interesting and valuable book."--_Glasgow + Herald._ + + +CHILDREN OF BORNEO. By EDWIN H. GOMES, M.A. (The Children's Missionary +Series.) Large crown 8vo, with eight Coloured Illustrations, cloth 1s 6d +_net_ + + "Mr Gomes blends fact and legend in a positively delightful way. + Some of the folk tales are as delightful as the stories of Hans + Christian Andersen."--_Christian World._ + + +CHILDREN OF JAMAICA. By Mrs ISABEL C. M'LEAN. (The Children's Missionary +Series.) Large crown 8vo, with eight Coloured Illustrations, cloth extra +1s 6d _net_ + + +CHILDREN OF JAPAN. By JANET HARVEY KELMAN, Author of "Children of +India." (The Children's Missionary Series.) Large crown 8vo, with eight +Coloured Illustrations, cloth extra 1s 6d _net_ + + +THE GIST OF JAPAN. The Islands; their People and Missions. By the Rev. +R. B. PEERY, A.M., Ph.D. Large crown 8vo, art canvas, with eight +full-page Illustrations 5s + + "This is an interesting and honest book, and its statements gain + by its extreme candour, as well as palpable sincerity of the + writer."--_Standard._ + + +KOREAN SKETCHES. A Missionary's Observations in the Hermit Nation. By +the Rev. JAMES S. GALE. Crown 8vo, cloth extra, with eight Illustrations +3s 6d + + "The author of 'Korean Sketches' has gone in and out among the + people for nine years. He has done so, moreover, as his book + shows, in the kind of temper which qualifies a man to see what is + best in a strange and very little understood race." + + +IN AFRIC'S FOREST AND JUNGLE. By R. H. STONE. Crown 8vo, cloth extra, +illustrated 3s 6d + + "A welcome contribution to missionary literature. The + illustrations are numerous and good."--_Christian._ + + +DAWN IN THE DARK CONTINENT. By JAMES STEWART, M.D., D.D., Lovedale. Demy +8vo, handsome binding, with nine Coloured Maps and Portrait of the +Author 6s _net_ + + "We have no hesitation in saying that Dr Stewart's book will have + permanent value as a standard history of African missions, and its + excellent maps by Bartholomew give a praiseworthy completeness to + its unity."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ + + +DAYBREAK IN LIVINGSTONIA. The Story of the Livingstonia Mission, British +Central Africa. By JAMES W. JACK, M.A. Revised, with an Introductory +Chapter, by Rev. ROBERT LAWS, M.D., D.D. Large crown 8vo, canvas +binding, with Map, a Plan of Livingstonia Institution, and many other +Illustrations 5s + + "We have no hesitation in saying that this is one of the best + missionary histories we have ever read."--_Glasgow Herald._ + + +AN AFRICAN GIRL: The Story of Ma Eno. By BEATRICE W. WELSH, Missionary +in Old Calabar. With eight full-page Illustrations. Large crown 8vo, +cloth extra 1s 6d + + "This book is interestingly written, and will, we doubt not, go + far to accomplish its object, which is to interest children--and + others--in the children of Nigeria."--_The Outposts._ + + +CALABAR AND ITS MISSION. By Rev. HUGH GOLDIE. New Edition, with +Additional Chapters by the Rev. JOHN TAYLOR DEAN. Large crown 8vo, cloth +extra, with Map and fourteen new Illustrations 5s + + "Mr Goldie has an interesting story to tell of the place, of its + people, and of the mission work that has been carried on there. It + is a story which the opponents of missionary enterprise can hardly + get over."--_Spectator._ + + +AMONG THE WILD NGONI. Being Chapters from the History of the +Livingstonia Mission in British Central Africa. By W. A. ELMSLIE, M.B., +C.M., Medical Missionary. With an Introduction by LORD OVERTOUN. Crown +8vo, cloth extra, with Illustrations and Portraits 3s 6d + + "In this volume he has at once done a real service to missions, + and has made a most valuable and interesting addition to the + fast-growing literature of Central Africa."--_The Times._ + + +CHILDREN OF EGYPT. By L. CROWTHER, Old Cairo. (The Children's Missionary +Series.) Large crown 8vo, with eight Coloured Illustrations, cloth 1s 6d +_net_ + + +THE ANGEL OPPORTUNITY. By JESSIE F. HOGG. Author of "The Story of the +Calabar Mission." With Frontispiece from a Pencil Sketch by H. C. +PRESTON MACGOUN, R.S.W. Crown 8vo, cloth extra 2s 6d + + This is the story of a missionary's family sent home for + education, and is full of humorous and pathetic incidents, in the + experience of a little girl, in her desire to discover and + influence the home heathen among whom she found herself. + + +DAVID LIVINGSTONE. By T. BANKS MACLACHLAN. Post 8vo, art canvas 1s _net_ + + "It has been an unmixed pleasure to read this life of David + Livingstone. The book is interesting from first to last, and gives + a vivid picture of a rare character."--_Madras Christian College + Magazine._ + + +MUNGO PARK. By T. BANKS MACLACHLAN. Post 8vo, art canvas 1s _net_ + + "We owe to Mr Maclachlan not only a charming life-story, if at + times a pathetic one, but a vivid chapter in the romance of + Africa. Geography has no more wonderful tale than that dealing + with the unraveling of the mystery of the Niger."--_Leeds + Mercury._ + + +CHILDREN OF AFRICA. By JAMES B. BAIRD, Church of Scotland Mission, +Blantyre, Author of "Nyono at School and at Home." (The Children's +Missionary Series.) Large crown 8vo, with eight Coloured Illustrations, +cloth extra 1s 6d _net_ + + "Boys and girls who read what Mr Baird says will have a vivid + picture of African life in their memories, and will see how + blessed is the light the Gospel carries to their black sisters and + brothers in the Dark Continent."--_Presbyterian Messenger._ + + +AN ARTISAN MISSIONARY ON THE ZAMBESI. Being the Life Story of WILLIAM +THOMSON WADDELL. By Rev. JOHN MACCONNACHIE, M.A. Large crown 8vo. +illustrated 1s 6d _net_ + + "It is a moving account of unselfish heroism for the sake of + Christ, and Mr MacConnachie has told it in a way that will impress + the reader afresh with the splendid, unassuming courage of their + rank and file in Christian missions."--_British Weekly._ + + +ARABIA: The Cradle of Islam. By Rev. S. M. ZWEMER, F.R.G.S. Studies in +the Geography, People, and Politics of the Peninsula; with an account of +Islam and Missionary Work. Demy 8vo, canvas binding, with Maps and +numerous Illustrations from Drawings and Photographs 7s 6d + + "The best book on Arabia from every point of view--scientific, + literary, and missionary. It is well illustrated, especially by + such maps as Ptolemy's, Niebuhr's, Palgrave's and plans of Mecca, + Medina, besides maps of Arabia as it now is, and of the islands of + Bahrein."--_The Scottish Geographical Magazine._ + + +CHILDREN OF ARABIA. By the Rev. JOHN C. YOUNG, M.A., M.B., CM., SHEIKH +OTHMAN, Aden. (The Children's Missionary Series.) Large crown 8vo, with +8 Coloured Illustrations, cloth extra 1s 6d _net_ + + +WITH THE TIBETANS IN TENT AND TEMPLE. Narrative of Four Years' Residence +on the Tibetan Border and of a Journey into the Far Interior. By SUSIE +CARSON RIJNHART, M.D. Large crown 8vo, cloth extra, gilt top, with +fourteen Illustrations. Fourth Edition 6s + + +CHILDREN OF PERSIA. By Mrs NAPIER MALCOLM. (The Children's Missionary +Series.) Large crown 8vo, with eight Coloured Illustrations, cloth 1s 6d +_net_ + + "A charming book for children. The life and surroundings of + child-life in Persia are described with sympathy and insight. + The young reader is carried through a very strange world of + fascinating interest."--_Missionary Record of the U.F. Church + of Scotland._ + + +CONSTANTINOPLE AND ITS PROBLEMS. Its Peoples, Customs, Religions, and +Progress. By HENRY OTIS DWIGHT, LL.D. Large crown 8vo, art linen, gilt +top, with 12 Illustrations 6s + + +JERUSALEM THE HOLY. A Brief History of Ancient Jerusalem; with an +Account of the Modern City and its Conditions, Political, Religious, and +Social. By EDWIN SHERMAN WALLACE. Demy 8vo, cloth extra, with 15 +Illustrations and 4 Maps 7s 6d + + +MISSIONS IN EDEN. By Mrs CROSBY H. WHEELER. Crown 8vo, cloth extra, +illustrated 3s 6d + + "The pages unfold a story of devoted labour--educational, + religious, and social--attended with encouraging results.... The + book is to be commended as a singularly readable record of work in + a field that commands much less than it deserves of prayerful + interest and support."--_Christian._ + + +THE CROSS OF CHRIST IN BOLO LAND. A Record of Missionary Effort in the +Philippines. By JOHN MARVIN DEAN, Crown 8vo, illustrated 3s 6d + + "This book should be widely read throughout the country. It is + worth more than a bale of newspaper print. The author is a + competent and credible witness of what he has seen in the + Philippines. He has done good service there."--_The Outlook._ + + +WITNESSES FROM ISRAEL. Life Stories of Jewish Converts to Christianity. +Edited by Rev. ARNOLD FRANK, Hamburg. Translated from the German by Mrs +A. FLEMING, with Recommendatory Note by Rev. PROFESSOR NICOL, D.D., +Convener of the Jewish Committee of the Church of Scotland. Crown 8vo, +cloth extra 1s 6d + + +THE TRANSFORMATION OF HAWAII: How Fifty Years of Mission Work gave a +Christian Nation to the World. Told for Young People. By BELLE M. BRAIN. +Crown 8vo, art linen, illustrated 3s 6d + + "Much is said against missions, sometimes in ignorance, sometimes + from mistaken conviction, and not seldom, it is to be feared, from + dislike of Christian morality; but the contrast between the Hawaii + which Cook discovered, and still more the Hawaii of forty odd + years of relations with white visitors, before the missionaries + came, and the Hawaii of 1870, is not lightly to be put + aside."--_Spectator._ + + +SIGN OF THE CROSS IN MADAGASCAR. By the Rev. J. J. KILPIN FLETCHER, +Crown 8vo, cloth extra, with numerous Illustrations 3s 6d + + "To many readers the story of the evangelisation of Madagascar is + a new one, but if they will add this charming book to their + missionary library, they will then know the wonderful story of the + work of God in these islands."--_Illustrated Missionary News._ + + +PERSIAN LIFE AND CUSTOMS. With Scenes and Incidents of Residence and +Travel in the Land of the Lion and the Sun. By S. G. WILSON, M.A., +Fifteen Years a Missionary in Persia. Second Edition, demy 8vo, cloth +decorated, gilt top, with Map and Illustrations 7s 6d + + "Mr Wilson writes without national or religious bias. He has not + only studied Persia, but has lived for fifteen years in it; and + while well acquainted with the literature of his subject, he + contents himself with giving, with excellent care and judgment, + his own experiences and opinions of a country which, + notwithstanding the changes of recent years, continues to be + socially, as well as politically, one of the most fascinating in + Asia."--_Scotsman._ + + +CHRISTIAN MISSIONS AND SOCIAL PROGRESS. A Sociological Study of Foreign +Missions. By the Rev. JAMES S. DENNIS, D.D., Author of "Foreign Missions +after a Century." In 3 volumes, royal 8vo, cloth extra. Vol. I., with +upwards of 100 full-page reproductions of Original Photographs, price +10s _net_. Vol. II., with 80 do., price 10s _net_. Vol. III., price 10s +_net_ + + "Dr Dennis treats the whole subject of ethics and of social order + generally with great minuteness and in a most instructive way. He + has done an inestimable service to the mission cause in so + doing."--_Spectator._ + + "How great might be the impetus to mission interest in our midst + if these volumes were made the basis of sermons all over the + land."--_Expository Times._ + + +OUTLINE OF A HISTORY OF PROTESTANT MISSIONS FROM THE REFORMATION TO THE +PRESENT TIME. A Contribution to Modern Church History, by G. WARNECK, +D.D. Translated from the Eighth Edition by arrangement with the Author, +and revised by GEORGE ROBSON, D.D. Demy 8vo, cloth extra, with Portrait +and Maps 10s 6d + + "It is a noble book, powerfully written, and throbbing with the + spirit of zeal and devotion, a book that must be read by all who + desire to master the missionary problem, to understand it in the + past, and to be prepared for its future evolution and development + in the world."--_Methodist Magazine and Review._ + + +A HISTORY OF PROTESTANT MISSIONS IN THE NEAR EAST. By JULIUS RICHTER, +D.D., Author of "A History of Protestant Missions in India." Demy 8vo, +cloth extra 10s 6d + + "This book on Missions in the Near East should be in every + missionary library. It is comprehensive, well informed, and fair, + and is written with spiritual insight."--_U.F.C. Monthly Record._ + + +THE EXPLORATION OF EGYPT AND THE OLD TESTAMENT. A Summary of Results +obtained by Exploration in Egypt up to the Present Time, with a fuller +account of those bearing on the Old Testament. By J. GARROW DUNCAN, +B.D., Blackie Scholar, 1894-5; Interim-Director of Excavations at +Nuffar, 1895-6; Wilson Archaeological Fellow (Abdn.), 1905-6; +Joint-Author with Dr Flinders Petrie of "Hyksos and Israelite Cities," +1906. With 100 Illustrations from Photographs. Large crown 8vo, cloth +extra 5s _net_ + + "The volume possesses the necessary combination of fulness of + knowledge and untechnicality necessary to give it a large + circulation."--_Expository Times._ + + +FOREIGN MISSIONS AFTER A CENTURY. By Rev. JAMES S. DENNIS, D.D., of the +American Presbyterian Mission, Beirut, Syria, with Introduction by +Professor T. M. LINDSAY, D.D., Convener of the Foreign Missions +Committee of the Free Church of Scotland. Extra crown 8vo, cloth 5s + + "Dr Dennis gives us a clear, impartial survey of the present + aspect of Foreign Missions all over the world. Many important + points are dealt with, and the reader will find himself correctly + informed on many subjects concerning which he may have been in + doubt. Dr Dennis writes as one who has seen and therefore knows, + and, as we read, we feel that we are in the regions of plain + facts, free from any of the romance which want of knowledge + sometimes causes."--_China's Millions._ + + +THE RESURRECTION GOSPEL: A Study of Christ's Great Commission. By JOHN +ROBSON, D.D. Large crown 8vo, cloth 5s _net_ + + "While the Great Commission is commanding a constantly increasing + share of the Church's thought and activity, I have felt that there + is still the want of a connected study of all the records of it + contained in the Gospels and Acts, and unless these be studied + together its full scope and completeness cannot be + realised."--_From the Preface._ + + +THE LIVING FORCES OF THE GOSPEL. Experiences of a Missionary in +Animistic Heathendom. By JOH. WARNECK, Lic. Theol., Superintendent of +Missions, Authorised Translation from the Third German Edition by the +Rev. NEIL BUCHANAN. Demy 8vo, cloth extra 5s _net_ + + +MEDICAL MISSIONS: Their Place and Power. By the late JOHN LOWE, +F.R.C.S.E., Secretary of the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society. With +introduction by Sir WILLIAM MUIR, K.C.S.L, LL.D., D.C.L. Fifth Edition, +with Portraits. Crown 8vo, cloth extra 2s 6d + + "It is a complete handbook of the subject, and contains not only + much information regarding the history of medical missions in + various parts of the world, but such wise counsel regarding the + training needful, and the right attitude of the missionary towards + the people and towards his profession, as only experience could + prompt."--_British Weekly._ + + +CHRISTIANITY AND THE PROGRESS OF MAN: As Illustrated by Modern Missions. +By W. DOUGLAS MACKENZIE, M.A. Large crown 8vo, cloth extra 3s 6d + + "It gives an account of the intellectual aspects of the work done + during the present century in evangelising the non-Christian + people of the world, discusses the relation of missionary + enterprise to the other civilising forces of modern times, and + sums up all by endeavouring to estimate the effect that + Christianity has had upon progress. Books about missionary work + are usually either read for their adventures, for their piety, or + for practical information concerning the history of a particular + mission. A work like the present, which gives what may be called + the philosophy of the subject, has a place of its own in the + literature to which it belongs, and deserves the attention of + thoughtful readers in its subject."--_Scotsman._ + + +THE BIBLE A MISSIONARY BOOK. By Rev. R. F. HORTON, D.D. Crown 8vo, cloth +extra. Cheap Edition 1s _net_ + + "The whole argument is worked out in a fresh and able and + scholarly way, and the book will be interesting to all 'friends of + missions.'"--_Glasgow Herald._ + + +OLIPHANT, ANDERSON & FERRIER +EDINBURGH AND LONDON + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Children of Borneo, by Edwin Herbert Gomes + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHILDREN OF BORNEO *** + +***** This file should be named 27801.txt or 27801.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/7/8/0/27801/ + +Produced by A Project Gutenberg volunteer working with +digital material generously made available by the Internet +Archive + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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