AMONG THE LONG-GLATS--IS FEAR OF EXPOSURE TO THE SUN JUSTIFIED?--
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LONG-GLATS--GOOD-BYE TO THE MAHAKAM
In the latter part of July we went to the near-by kampong, Long Tujo ("a
small animal with many legs"), situated at the mouth of another small
tributary to the Mahakam. Here live Long-Glats who are located below the
other Bahau peoples of the river and are found as far as Batokelau, between
the upper and lower rapids. Though Long Iram is rather distant--five days'
travel down-stream, and, if the river is high, perhaps two months may be
consumed in returning--still its influence was evidenced by the several
umbrellas I saw, all black, an adaptation from the high-class Malays and an
unusual sight in these parts. The kapala of this large kampong resembled a
Malay raja, in that he always carried an umbrella when he walked and looked
pale because the sun was not allowed to shine upon him. Two days later,
when I photographed the ladies performing dances, they had at least five of
these fashionable contrivances.
It may be stated that natives of the Dutch Indies are generally afraid of
the sun. Well-to-do Malays carry umbrellas as a protection against it. In
Batavia I read in the newspapers that the Sultan of Priok, when visiting
an aviation camp, was so overcome by the heat that he had to be carried
away, regaining consciousness on arriving at his quarters. However, the
attack may have been induced to some extent by general lack of exercise
and the indolent life that characterises his compatriots who occupy high
positions.
Even some of the pagan tribes protect their heads, as the Katingans, the
Duhoi, and others, who make beautiful sunshades, which also serve in case
of rain, and this was not learned from the Malays. In the Bornean tribes
that I visited, until the child is old enough to walk, the sun is not
allowed to shine upon it even for a moment. The blacks of Australia, on
the other hand, who are in a state of absolute nudeness, pay no attention
to the sun, though in common with most natives of hot countries they
usually prefer to follow the example of the animals and remain quiet in
the middle of the day.
An umbrella of the usual type, Chinese or Japanese, is very useful for
travel in Borneo. At times it proves of excellent service in the prahu in
case of sudden showers, and it is invaluable for protecting the camera
when photographing. But as a matter of comfort and convenience it is my
custom to have my head uncovered except in rainy or cold weather. The sun
is a great friend and health-giver, and notwithstanding well-meant
warnings and an inborn fear first to be overcome, during my journeys in
Borneo I carried my hat in my pocket. When travelling in a prahu, I do not
care for a prolonged exposure to the sun, but often I photographed for
three or four hours continuously--really hard work--in the blazing light
of the equatorial sun, without experiencing any disagreeable effect. In
the spring of 1910 I travelled in this way for three months, mostly on
horseback, through the Sonora Desert, and felt stronger for it. It is my
opinion that overfatigue, excess in eating, or alcohol are the causes of
sunstroke. I have met only one man who, like myself, discards cover for
the head--Doctor N. Annandale, of the Indian Museum in Calcutta. Although
in our present state of knowledge I agree with him that it is unwise to
advise others to do likewise in the tropics, I emphatically recommend less
fear of the sun in temperate regions, always on the supposition that one
leads a healthy and sane life.
The Long-Glats came from Apo Kayan, and established themselves first on
the River Glit, a tributary from the south to the River Ugga, which again
is an affluent to the River Boh, the outlet from Apo Kayan to the Mahakam.
Since that time the people have called themselves Long-Glit, which is
their correct name, but as they have already become known as Long-Glat,
through the Dutch, I shall use that designation.
In the kapala's house I saw a superb plank, four metres long, raised
lengthwise against the wall; one side of it was taken up with fine
carvings on a large scale, representing three pairs of dogs. This I
fortunately obtained. The kapala's father was an Oma-Suling, but his
grandmother, a Long-Glat, had taught him some kremi or kesa, the Malay
words for folklore (in Long-Glat, lawong), and I collected from him two
rather interesting tales, which are included with other folklore stories
at the end of this book. In one of them (No. 18) the airplane is
foreshadowed, and by one that could fly for a month, at that. Needless to
state, an airplane had never been heard of in those parts.
The people were inquisitive but more distant than the other tribes I had
visited, a quality which is often a saving grace. They were very willing
to be photographed, and among my subjects were three women of the
nobility, called rajas, who had many coins sewn on their skirts in a way
that looked quite well. One wore a head ornament such as I had not seen
before, an elaborate affair lying over the hair, which was worn loose and
hanging down the back. One man trembled noticeably when before the camera,
without spoiling the photograph, however, though it was a side-view.
Of the women who helped me with the interpretations of designs, one had a
marked Mongolian fold of the eye, though her eyes could scarcely be said
to be placed obliquely. As far as my observations go, the Mongolian fold
is very slight with the natives of Borneo, or not present at all, and the
obliquity of the eyes is seldom striking. The Long-Glats do not tatu much,
many not at all, but generally they have on the left upper arm a picture
of the nagah in its usual representation with the disproportionately large
dog's mouth. Wild cattle are not eaten here. The great hornbill, as well
as the red and white hawk, may be killed, but are not eaten.
Three times a day the women bring water and take baths, while the men
bathe when fancy dictates. Penihing and Kayan women begin to husk rice
about five o'clock in the morning, while it is still dark. That is pemáli
(forbidden) among the Long-Glats, but the women cook rice at that hour,
and, after eating, most of the people depart to the ladangs, returning
about four o'clock in the afternoon. The women who remain in the kampong
place paddi on mats in the sun to dry, and at noon they husk rice. Early
in the afternoon, and again about two hours after sunset, meals are
served, consisting always of boiled rice and a simple stew of boiled
vegetables of one or more kinds (called sayur, a Malay word), and
sometimes pork.
In the evening the women may cut rattan into fine strips, or weave these
into mats, while the men employ themselves in making a sheath for a
parang, or an axe-handle, or carving a hilt for a sword, etc. They talk
till late at night and sometimes sing. None of the Bahau people are able
to make rattan mats of such exquisite finish as the Long-Glats. The
beautiful dull-red colour employed is procured from a certain grass which
is crushed and boiled, the rattan being kept in the infusion one day. The
black colour is obtained by the same method from the leaves of a tree, and
both colours are lasting.
In the belief of the Long-Glats, people should not laugh at animals, lest
some misfortune result. For instance, when dogs fight among themselves or
with cats, one should not indulge in mirth, else the thunder, which is an
antoh, becomes angry and makes somebody ill. In this kampong was a young
hornbill which was quite domesticated and frequently came to rest on the
top of my tent. It often fought the hens and even the dogs, which was an
amusing sight, but would carry disquieting significance to the Dayak who
allowed himself to laugh. The lieutenant from Long Kai possessed a very
tame wah-wah which had accompanied him on a visit here. The natives told
me that a child had become ill because she could not help laughing at the
ape when it ran after the lieutenant and climbed one of his legs.
According to the blian, the little girl was very warm and feverish, but he
sang in the night, and next day she was well.
Considerable similarity is evident in customs, manners, and beliefs of the
Long-Glats and the Oma-Sulings, though the limited time at my disposal did
not permit me fully to investigate this subject. Bear-meat is not eaten by
either, and rusa (deer) and kidyang are not killed, the latter especially
being avoided. Sumpitans are bought, and blians' shields such as the
Penihings have are not made. Both these tribes pray for many children,
which to them means larger ladangs and much food. The wish of these
peoples is to have ten children each. In view of the fact that in Long
Pahangei the number of women was disproportionately small, the desire for
large families seemed unlikely to be gratified. Many men, some of them
old, were unmarried, but no women were single. Twins sometimes occur, but
not triplets. The mother nourishes her offspring for about five years, the
two youngest suckling at the same time. A raja may marry ten women, or
more, and has a great marriage-feast of more than a week's duration.
Lidju, my Long-Glat assistant, said that his father had fifteen wives, his
grandfather thirty, but it was no longer the fashion to have so many. The
common man (orang kampong) is allowed only one wife. Divorces are easily
obtained, and neither suicide nor abortion is known.
July is supposed to be the dry season, but rarely a day passed without
showers. One evening occurred the heaviest thunder-storm I experienced in
Borneo. It came from the west and was accompanied by a great downpour,
straining my tent to the utmost. The sergeant one day brought in a large
lizard (_varanus_) which he shot from the prahu just as it was about to
enter the river. Its length was 2.30 metres; the circumference back of the
fore legs 44 centimetres.
It was with regret that I said good-bye to the Bahau peoples. Had it been
in my power, I should like to have spent years instead of months in this
Mahakam region. The Dayaks here are friendly to strangers, and as the
great rapids farther down the river form a natural barrier, they seldom
receive visitors, therefore are little changed by outside influence. The
Malays have never been able to extend their influence above the rapids,
and whatever modification may be noticeable in the natives is chiefly due
to their journeys to Long Iram in order to exchange the products of the
utan for commodities of the outside world. The government has exerted
itself to keep the Malays from coming, but no doubt in the end this will
prove as unavailing as it did on the Upper Barito. A few of them now and
then find their way across the range that forms a natural boundary toward
the south, and although thus far Malay settlement up here is negligible,
its ultimate ascendancy is probable, however long the time that may pass
before it is accomplished.