MY LIMBANG JOURNAL--_continued_.
Women’s Ornaments--Adorning in Public--Confidence shown by
a young Girl--Geography--Leech Bites--Tapioca--The Manipa
Stream--The False and True Brayong--Nothing but Rice to
be purchased--Wild Raspberries--Good Shots--The Rifle
Carbine--Death of a Kite--Picking a Cocoa-nut--Curious
Statement--A Village of Runaways--Proposed Slave
Hunt--Disappointment--Appearance of the Women--Old Look of the
Children--Devoid of Drapery--Preparing the Plantations--No Goods
for Sale--Edible Bird’s-nest Cave--Difficulties in penetrating
farther--Determine to return--Climate--New Route--Custom
in Drinking similar to the Chinese--Anecdote of Irish
Labourers--Change of Plans--Fashion of wearing Brass Wire--Start
on a Tour among the Villages--The Burning Path--Village
of Purté--Refreshing Drink--The Upper Trusan--Distant
Ranges--Inviting and receiving Invitations--Fatal Midnight
Revel--Tabari’s Village--Alarm of Orang Kaya Upit--Suspension
Bridge--Inhabitants--Scheme of the Adangs to return to
their old Districts--Deers’ Horns--Mourning--Difficult
Walking--The Tiger’s Leap--Meet Si Puntara--No Real
Enemies--Murud--The Gura Peak--The Main Muruts--Salt as well
as Slave Dealers--Bearskin Jacket--White Marble--Uncertainty
whence procured--Leaden Earrings-- Unbecoming Custom--Lofty
Mountains--Lawi Cloud-hidden--Muruts busy Farming--Two Harvests
a Year--Agricultural Produce plentiful--Obtain a Goat--Dress of
the Men--Bead Petticoats--Custom of burying on the Tops of the
Lofty Hills--Desecration of Graves--Jars--Discovery of one in
Brunei--Similar Millanau Customs.
_September 19th._--Many of the women in this village wear fillets
of beads round their heads to keep back the hair; it looks well at a
distance, but when near, most of them are so dirty that nothing could
look well upon them. Here is a girl going out to the fields to work,
and she is putting on her ornaments; first, the bands round the head;
then a necklace of beads of twenty strings; then a chain made of brass
wire, each link four or five inches long, but most of them wear the
last ornament round the waist. Perhaps she is in a hurry. One might
suppose that these adornments are worn in honour of our visit, as they
must be inconvenient to a woman at work.
Yesterday morning, while out walking, a young girl brought me some
sticks of sugar-cane; her companions remaining a hundred yards off; for
this, in the afternoon, she was duly rewarded with a looking-glass. I
like this confidence, and detest the system they have in some tribes of
running away shrieking--all false modesty, as they are seldom really
afraid. The trade in beads for rice appears brisk, and so we need have
no fear about provisions.
I have been trying to understand the geography of this part of Borneo,
but I am exceedingly puzzled by the position of Brayong; it bears N. E.
by N. The valley leading up to these mountains is very picturesque and
park-like, with its extensive clearings and clumps of trees scattered
about. To the north the hills slope gently to the rivers, and appear
to afford splendid spots for cultivation; from this view, even Brayong
appears approachable by a very easy ascent.
I am trying to make arrangements for a six days’ trip in the jungle, in
search of new flowers, and also for a reported edible bird’s-nest cave,
the latter, most probably, a myth. I am rather troubled by my feet. I
have seventy-three wounds on one leg, and seventy-two on the other, all
from leech bites, and some of them are festering; but a few days’ rest
will probably restore them to a proper walking condition. I dislike
living in these little close houses, they are very dirty, and there is
little new to observe or to interest. I prefer the freedom of the woods
and the freshness of the tents.
_20th._--The women are hard at work preparing the tapioca for
food; they cut it into slices, then dry it, and afterwards pound it
to a flour. Took a walk, notwithstanding my tender feet, as I dislike
remaining quiet a whole day. We went down to the stream which runs to
the eastward of the village, the Manipa (its bed 2,957 feet); observed
only sandstone intermixed with quartz; from thence we ascended to a
village on top of the opposite hill (height 4,403 feet), Purté being
the name of the rivulet that flows near it.
I might well say yesterday I was puzzled by the position of Brayong, as
it turns out not to be Brayong at all. It is not thirty miles off, and
the veritable Lawas range, bearing N. 10° W., about thirty miles beyond
it. There is also a high mountain, part of the false Brayong, bearing
N. Now I am no longer puzzled: the Orang Kaya Upit gave it that name
from the marked resemblance of the two ranges. There is a curiously
shaped mountain, whose eastern end is very recognizable. I must sketch
it in the geographical journal, as I can easily recall it, if ever I
ascend the Trusan.
We found the village nearly empty, all the people being away at their
farms. We could only purchase a fowl; there were two goats, but the
owner was absent. The story of the innumerable goats has indeed faded
away; we were equally unsuccessful in our search for fruit, vegetables,
or sugar-cane. On our return we picked a great many wild raspberries,
which have not very much flavour, but they were refreshing, and in
many places the shrubs grew so very thickly as to prevent any other
vegetation springing up, and looked like a deserted garden. The plants
have a very similar appearance to those grown in England, and are
pleasant to look at as reminding one of home. The boys of the village
for a few beads collected them by the peck, till we were completely
surfeited by them.
I am not a good shot with the rifle, but in my life I have three times
startled the natives, and this I did to-day. There were a great many
men present, chiefs of the neighbouring villages, and Orang Kaya Upit
told me that they had heard of the wonders of the rifle-carbine, that
could be fired five times without loading, and they were all anxious
that I should discharge it before them; so I looked about for a mark,
that if I missed would not be looked upon as a great want of skill.
I observed a large kite perched on a branch of a tree about a hundred
and twenty yards off, so I told them I would have a shot at the bird.
I remembered that I had once before put a bullet from the same carbine
through a hawk, so I had some confidence in the instrument. I fired,
and the bird came down without the flutter of a wing, pitching headlong
into the jungle below. This intensely excited their admiration. There
is no doubt that skill in arms has a great effect upon wild tribes, so
I shall never again attempt a difficult shot before them, for fear I
should weaken the effect of this one. The carbine was an excellent one,
manufactured by Wilkinson of Pall Mall, after Adams’ patent.
Many years ago I landed at Cagayan Sulu, with a large party to buy
cattle. A few of the people were most insolent in their manner, and
they were all fully armed; after strolling about a little in the
blazing sun, we felt very thirsty, and asked the owner of the house
near which we were bartering, to let us have a cocoa-nut. He pointed
to them, and with an insolent laugh said, “You may have one if you
can get it.” I did not wait for a second permission, but without a
moment’s thought let fly at the stalk and brought a nut down. I never
saw astonishment so visible on men’s countenances; we had no more
insolence after that. It was a shot that one might attempt a hundred
times without succeeding.
I mention this circumstance as it produced a proposal that gave me some
information of which I might otherwise not have heard. I noticed in the
evening that the chiefs were more quiet than usual, and that they were
talking together in whispers and constantly looking my way. One of them
brought me a basin of their native spirit, which is not strong, so I
drank it off. Then Orang Kaya Upit unfolded their scheme: he said that
formerly all their tribes were very rich in slaves, captives made in
their different expeditions, before the time they were so broken up;
suddenly, for some reason they did not understand, all the slaves from
the neighbouring villages fled in a body and built a strong house a
few miles away, from whence they constantly harassed their neighbours,
their former masters. They were a bad people, thieves, and murderers,
the only disturbers of their peace: it was they who came at night and
shot poisoned arrows at the women and children, killing many.
After minutely recounting the evil deeds of this people, he said that
the assembled chiefs had often attacked the robbers’ village, but had
never succeeded in taking it. They had seen to-day the wonderful effect
of fire-arms, and they were quite convinced that if I would join them
with my seventeen Malays armed with muskets, we could easily capture
the place; that there were not less than sixty families, so that there
would be at least a couple of hundred slaves to divide, and that they
were willing I should take as many as I liked for myself and men.
My followers looked very eagerly at me, ready at my desire to enter
on this slave hunt. I quietly declined joining in the attack, as we
had never been injured by their enemies. To this they replied that I
should certainly be attacked on my journey home, as these people would
have heard of my arrival, and would lie in ambush. I told the Orang
Kaya that I would prefer waiting till that event took place; if it did
I would turn back, and join them in driving their enemies out of the
country. They were disappointed at my determination, and perhaps my
men had indulged themselves with the idea of getting a slave apiece. If
true, this story of the village of escaped captives is very curious;
but it may have been invented to induce me to join in an attack on a
tribe of their enemies.
_21st._--Many of the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages
are coming in to see the stranger. The women are remarkably ill
favoured--broad flat faces and extremely dirty, but with many head
ornaments, and some of them are tattooed about the arms and legs. Many
of the men and women wear round flat pieces of metal or of wood in the
holes of their ears instead of earrings, while others have heavy pieces
of lead, dragging the ear down to the shoulder, like the Kanowit tribe,
I suppose to enlarge the holes to the proper proportions.
It is curious to notice the very old look that many of the boys and
girls have, especially the latter: it requires a glance at the bosom
to discover whether they are young or not. Their petticoats are of the
shortest, sometimes not eight inches broad, and are scarcely decent.
The Bengal civilian’s exclamation on seeing the Sarawak Dayaks, “It
strikes me that these people are rather devoid of drapery,” would apply
better to the Adang ladies.
We have purchased rice for twenty days at extremely moderate rates,
bartering with beads. Our guide continues absent on a visit to his
relations, which is the cause of our remaining so quiet. The atmosphere
around us is filled with smoke from the burning plantations, rendering
it quite unpleasant for mouth, nose and eyes: the clearings are very
extensive in many places, and as yet not half burnt. Their cultivation
is very slovenly--the regular Dayak custom of felling a large extent
of jungle, then, when dry, burning all that can be easily burnt, thus
leaving the trunks and large branches, and planting rice between them.
I have observed but few tobacco-plants; they smoke what appeared to
me a kind of moss, but in reality tobacco badly cured. They are all
anxious for goods, but they have nothing to sell; neither goats nor
honey, and but few fowls or vegetables, nor do they appear to have wax,
camphor or birds’-nests; rice is their only commodity, and that they
have in abundance.
4 p.m.--One of the great curiosities of these countries is certainly
the edible bird’s-nest caves, and we were promised the sight of an
immense one. Luñgenong told us that once, when out hunting, he had
followed a pig into a large crevice in the rock, which, however,
opened out to an immense size in the interior; and that the sides were
covered with a mass of the white nest; of course the old ones would
have been of no value, but had they been destroyed, in a few months
new ones would have been built, and have been worth a great deal to
them. Luñgenong has just returned from a visit to his relations, but
though he still persists in his story of the caves, he has changed a
three days’ walk into a month’s journey in the forest: we must, he
says, carry provisions for the whole distance. This is evidently an
invention; perhaps he does not want us to visit his caves, so I have
told him I won’t go. I should like to reach the mountain of Lawi, but
I have only seven men who can walk.
_22nd._--I have almost made up my mind not to try to penetrate
farther into the country during this expedition. I think it would be
much better to attempt reaching the great mountain of Lawi by ascending
the Trusan river from its mouth. The whole country appears inhabited,
so that my men would not suffer as they have done during our present
expedition up the Limbang: they would have no unusual fatigues, nor any
privations to undergo, and our chance would be greater.
It is very improbable indeed that at this season I can get much
assistance from these villagers; it is their planting time, and they
have a little of that feeling, which we found so prevalent during
our Kina Balu trip, of not wishing to help us to go beyond their own
village--a sort of jealousy that we may distribute our goods elsewhere.
Were my men well I should laugh at such difficulties, and go without a
guide; but four of my followers are really ill, eight more have very
sore feet, so that in reality I have but five efficient men, which is
too few to wander with unless joined to the people of the country. I
have succeeded in all the objects with which I started except reaching
Lawi, and I have gained such knowledge and experience how to organize
the next expedition, that I feel tolerably assured of penetrating
during the next excursion very much farther into the country.
The climate among these hills must be very healthy, the air is fresh
and cool; even in the middle of the day it is not oppressive, except
in certain places. A few days’ farther advance would give us a very
superior climate. I regret that I have not sufficient instruments with
me to carry out all my views: but even with the imperfect means I
possess, I have added considerably to my knowledge of this portion of
the interior.
We are making many inquiries respecting the country below us, and
the result is that we think that by starting from Brunei with light
boats and lighter baggage, we should probably reach these houses in
good condition under twelve days; which would enable us to extend our
travels immensely during two months. I am longing to push on to the
range of mountains we see to the eastward, but after five days’ rest
few of the men have recovered from their walk from the Madihit.
The men are drinking arrack around me, and it is interesting to observe
the custom of refusing the proffered glass and pressing it on others,
the contest continuing even to the danger of spilling the liquor. It is
so practised among the Chinese at Sarawak that a cup of tea is often
offered and refused by every one in company before the holder will
drink it. I must have disconcerted many a thirsty man by accepting the
cup before I knew the custom. This puts me in mind of an incident that
took place in a rapid run I made between the Cove and Cork. At the door
of a public-house were a dozen idle labourers: we stopped there for a
glass of ale, and in the exuberance of our spirits ordered four quarts
for the idlers: just as we were starting, one of them stepped up to me
and said,--“Sir, we never drink but out of our own pints.”
5 p.m.--“Unstable as water,” &c., I might almost say of myself, as my
determination of not extending our journey has been upset by the Orang
Kaya Upit, who assures me that the people of the interior are expecting
me, and Si Nuri has just joined us with a message from Si Puntará, the
old hunter we met in the woods, hoping we will come and visit him and
his people. So if nothing occur, we shall start to-morrow with such men
as can walk, leaving the others to recover strength at this village. I
much prefer this plan, as it will enable me to form a better estimate
of the facilities of reaching the centre of the island by this route,
and I may yet get a look at Lawi. I have constantly borne in mind the
whisper I overheard, that only certain privileged individuals are
allowed to get a sight of this famous hill.
I have seen many fashions of wearing brass wire, but the most inelegant
is that of some of the girls of the neighbouring villages, who twist
about a couple of fathoms in circles round their neck, rising from the
shoulders to the chin, forming what appears a stiff collar with a very
broad base; it is, however, no doubt more pliant than it appears.
_23rd._--Commenced our tour among the villages by walking over to
the Purté houses: it took us two hours in the broiling sun, although in
a direct line not above two miles, and by path not three, but we had
to descend about fifteen hundred feet and climb that again; the slopes
of the hills very steep: besides we were in no hurry, not intending to
pass this village. The leech bites prevent my wearing shoes, and the
way being completely open, with no shade whatever, the trunks of trees
laid along to form a path were very hot, making the soles of my feet
painfully sore; my followers, lazy after a five days’ rest, lagged even
in this short walk, but as soon as we reached the houses, a beautiful
breeze refreshed us: but even a long bath would not cool my burning
feet.
The village of Purté, or Sakalobang, one the name of the rivulet,
the other of the buttress, is on a northern spur of the Adang range,
which here bends considerably to the eastward. It consists of about
forty-five families, and the houses are slightly larger than the last
ones, and less confined: this village acknowledges Balang Palo as its
head man, as Si Lopong was of the last, and they know the different
villages by the names of the chief men, rather than by rivers or
hills. After our bathe the villagers refreshed us with a sweet drink,
unfermented, made from the roots of the tapioca. I notice here that
deer’s horns are much used as pegs on which to hang their swords and
fighting jackets. Most of the people are away planting rice, while
the neighbouring villagers are burning the felled trees, and filling
the air with their smoke. As we advance we obtain better views of the
interior, and here the Trusan, under the name of Kalalan, is rather
broad, and might perhaps float a canoe.
I shall not make much remark about the country, as I have taken the
necessary bearings, and shall see it all so much better from the upper
villages. The lofty eastern range is gradually appearing as two, with
in one place high white cliffs near the summit; it is too smoky for
very good bearings. Noticed a little boy wearing brass wire round the
arm from the wrist to the elbow, after the fashion of Sarawak Dayak
girls, and many of the absurd brass-wire collars even on young children.
Every principal man seems to consider it necessary to give Orang Kaya
Upit, and the other illustrious visitors, a meal or a feast, and it is
amusing to watch how the invitation is given and received. The host
draws near the crowd, and says,--“Come,” the visitors pretend not to
hear: he again repeats, “Come,” more impatiently. They look at anything
rather than the speaker, and continue their conversation with more
earnestness than ever; after innumerable “Comes,” they at last get
up and proceed in solemn procession to the host’s room; and this is
carried on throughout the day, the visitors becoming redder and redder
in the face as evening approaches, the repeated draughts of arrack
having their effect. They gave me a little honey; it does not look
inviting, but it tastes tolerably well.
8 p.m.--The whole house is in uproar, from the news arriving of a man
having been killed last night during a drunken bout in a neighbouring
village: nobody knows who did it, so each of the men took an oath it
was not he: they hang up a string of tiger-cat’s teeth, and the men
pass under, denying the action; a man refusing to undergo this ordeal
is considered guilty. The discussion among the assembled chiefs is very
energetic, as each man is trying to suggest how the accident could
have occurred; it being their custom when intending to spend the night
drinking, to lodge all their arms with the women. The most sensible
conjecture was that the spear shaken from its place by the boisterous
movements of the drinkers, fell without being touched, and striking the
man inside the thigh, cut the femoral artery: they could not stop the
bleeding, and the man died almost immediately. At first suspicion fell
upon the owner of the spear, but he evidently had not thrown it, yet
they felt inclined to fine the man for having possessed so unlucky a
weapon. The news of the accident threw a slight damp on the party, and
though they kept it up till one, much to my discomfort, yet none of the
carousers got intoxicated.
_24th._--We advanced to-day four hours in a south-east by east
direction to the village of Tabari. I thought yesterday I should get
a clearer view at early dawn, but a dense fog hid everything from us;
it did not lift till nine, and then only partially, but it showed that
what appeared as the southern end of the long range is a separate
mountain, but as we shall in all likelihood advance two or three days
farther, it is useless to speculate on the probable course of the
river. Our path to-day reminded me of the Sarawak Dayak ones, being
principally composed of trunks of trees generally notched, disagreeable
in descending.
As the morning was cool, our party kept well together, except the
Orang Kaya Upit and his relations, who would have bad birds. They are
evidently in alarm; what about is rather puzzling, as we are only
going to the houses of our last night’s visitors, but they apprehend
treachery, and are giving broad hints about returning; to this I will
not listen, as they will state no reason for their fears. Tabari’s
village, unlike the rest, is on the main river, which thus affords us
pleasant baths; it contains twenty-three families. Opposite the houses
is one of those bamboo and wooden suspension-bridges, thrown from one
tree to another, common in many rivers, and very useful, though they
are sometimes very rotten, and will only bear one at a time. (Houses
3,127 feet.) Although we stopped at Tabari’s house, the Orang Kaya Upit
would not, but went on to the next village.
[Illustration:
T. Picken, lith.
Published by Smith, Elder & C^o. 65, Cornhill, London.
Day & Son, Lith^{rs}. to the Queen.
MURUT BRIDGE--TABARIS VILLAGE.]
These people say that they are not Adangs, but the original inhabitants
of the country, intermarried, however, with the fugitive tribe, and
speaking the same language. They may be people of the lower Trusan, but
I doubt if they have long been settled here: there are no fruit-trees
nor ancient clearings around them, no sign, in fact, but of a rather
recent settlement.
I am promised a sight of the great mountain of Lawi to-morrow. There is
some talk of our returning a new way; I shall not object if I can get
my baggage brought on, as I like to pass over fresh ground, and I may
be able to get some bearing of Molu, which I have not done since I left
the Limbang.
I forget whether I have mentioned it before, but there is a scheme on
foot of which the Orang Kaya Upit is the originator, and he quotes me
as his great authority. It is this: that the Sultan should allow a fort
to be established at the entrance of the Madalam, to be held by the
Orang Kaya, to stop the expeditions of the Kayans; then that the whole
of the inhabitants of the interior of the Trusan should move over and
farm between the Madalam and Madihit. There can be no doubt that it
would be a good thing both for Brunei and the Muruts, as the Borneans
would get rice cheap, and the Adangs be able to supply themselves with
goods; few wear anything but bark now, and as on the Limbang there
are both wax and camphor, and innumerable rattans, they would have no
difficulty in purchasing cloths, which they already prize. The Muruts
would be too far off to be oppressed, but near enough to trade. The
Shabandar, however, dreads anything like combination among the Muruts,
and would particularly object to their getting beyond his reach.
Deers’ horns are plentiful in this house. Ahtan has just counted
forty-three used as pegs; the skins of bears, as well as those of the
rimau dahan are also numerous, nearly every man having a jacket of
them. The men evidently hunt a great deal; their dogs are all sleek and
well fed, and I intend buying a couple to take down the river with us.
There is apparently always something new to notice in these tribes. I
never before saw the following ceremony: twenty-four girls and boys,
with a few grown women, are walking up and down the verandah, chanting,
“Woh, weh, woh, Isana,” mourning for the son of the chief, who has just
been wounded up country. They march in Indian file, their arms resting
on the shoulders of the person in front; it appears to be a mere
ceremony, there being very little grief in the tone. At first I thought
it might be connected with the heavy rain and crashing thunderstorm
that is now raging outside, preventing any attempt at conversation.
This promises us a rapid if safe return, as we have had rain at night
for the last few days.
These people wear many rings of lead up the rim of the ear, as I
noticed among the wax gatherers.
I have just heard that it was a relation of the Orang Kaya Upit who
wounded the chief’s son, which explains the bad omens and the fears.
Absurd fellow not to have explained the reason, because we could then
have all gone on together!
_25th._--We advanced about four miles in a S.E. by S. direction to
the houses of Si Nina, where we breakfasted. The track was generally
along the banks of the river and very bad walking indeed; constant
landslips having destroyed the path, we had to crawl along over the
loose earth, sometimes finding it impassable; we were then obliged to
descend to the foaming stream below, hard and dangerous work after last
night’s rain. Among the valleys small plains, slightly undulating, are
to be met with; otherwise the character of the country is a general
succession of steep hills. At one place two rocks were pointed out to
me in the stream about thirty feet apart, called the Tigers’ Leap. I
made many inquiries about these animals; they insist that eight came
to their country; that they were not tiger-cats as I suggested: if
such animals were ever here they might have escaped from cages in the
capital: it was a common custom among the far eastern princes to keep
these ferocious creatures, but I never heard of Bornean princes doing
so. I have read somewhere that formerly there were a few tigers on the
north-east coast, probably let loose by strangers as the ancestors of
the elephants were.
Si Nina’s village contains about forty families, if we follow the
numbers of doors, though he himself says fifty, and their lazy habits
may induce two families to live in a space not fit even for one. Here
we met Si Puntará, whom we accompanied two miles in a south-west
direction to his village on the slope of a hill; it consists of two
houses and perhaps forty families. Tapioca is extensively grown round
this village, and the clearings are immense. What proves to me that
the stories of constant harassing enemies are exaggerations, is that
all these villages keep their rice granaries at some distance from the
houses, where they might be destroyed without any danger or difficulty;
to this the Muruts would answer that their enemies seek heads, not rice.
The mountain at the southern end of the first eastern range, called by
the natives Murud, or “the mountain,” bears south-east by south, and
in a straight line is perhaps not more than three miles off. (Houses
3,679 feet). Orang Murut simply means a mountain man, or a mountaineer,
but is now used for a particular class of aborigines. Standing near
the rice granaries of Si Puntará’s village we had a fine view of the
ranges that ran from north to south, whose lengthened summits showed
occasionally white cliffs, but there was a peak not many miles from us,
a little to the eastward of south, called Gura, and from its summit
they said on a fine day the eastern coast was visible, with the broad
sea beyond, and at its base and beyond it live the Main Muruts, who
are the great suppliers of salt.
There are some of the Main Muruts here. I have asked for a guide to
their houses; I am promised one if I will remain another week, but as
that excursion itself would take us eight days, I must not think of
attempting it, as even now I shall not be back to Brunei within the
time I promised. The Main Muruts are not only salt but slave dealers.
I have noticed but one of them, and he in his pride has beaten out a
brass gong into a broad belt a foot across. He is a forbidding-looking
fellow, with a hair lip. They say the salt water issues from a spring,
and is collected in small ponds, and then boiled for the salt; it looks
dirty, and has a peculiar flavour, as if it had much soda in it. The
Orang Kaya Upit, with a bad omen, has again deserted us, so that we are
without a proper interpreter.
_26th._--In looking at a bearskin jacket, of which there are a
great many to be seen about, I for the first time saw a specimen of
the Batu Gading, “ivory stone,” in fact, white marble. They say the
Muruts of Limbang sell it. I should like to know from whence they get
it; those I have asked say from Baram. I remember passing a mountain or
hill in that river that they called Batu Gading. Sent a party to find
if the Orang Kaya Upit had been able to purchase a deer or a goat for
us. Many of the women, as I have before noticed in the men, wear leaden
rings along the edge of the ear; the lobe being brought down to the
shoulder by half-a-dozen heavy ones.
About 11 a.m. started in a south-west direction for about a mile and
a half, to the top of a hill, from whence there is usually a view of
Lawi in a south-west direction; all the mountains, however, are hidden
in clouds, but it must be a high one if remarkable among its towering
neighbours. The whole appearance of the country is mountainous, each
range becoming more lofty as we approach the hidden interior. From an
elevation of about 4,348 feet, the two mountains next us looked very
high, perhaps between 7,000 and 8,000 feet; they say these are the
children, Lawi the father.
Were the people not so busy with their farms, and I so pressed for
time, I would try and reach Lawi, as there are people residing at its
foot; but I must put it off till next expedition, when I hope to pass
the mountain.
These people are very well off, on account of planting rice twice a
year, one kind called Asas being ready in three months, the other in
five months. They have plenty of the great essential rice, and trust
to hunting for most of their flesh; they, however, keep pigs and a few
fowls. Tapioca is a mere weed; dressed as a potato it is excessively
indigestible; I have observed some sweet potatoes, and also some yams
and Indian corn. They have no fruit-trees, contenting themselves with a
few bananas.
Orang Kaya Upit has so far got over his fears, that he has made his
appearance, following in the train of a goat, which has been the
loadstone to draw him here. I think our farthest resting-place has
been reached, as I talk of returning to-morrow, and calculate that
should no unforeseen event take place, we may reach Brunei by the 11th
October. The plan of returning by an entirely new road has been given
up, as it would require our remaining here till all the rice is planted.
I have seen quite as much of the country as I expected, penetrating as
far, though not quite in the direction I had calculated. I thought we
should have made a general S.E. by S. direction from the Madalam, but I
think we must have advanced S.E. by E. instead.
Many of the men have broad belts of bark, which are worn partly over
the chawat, something after the fashion of the Belcher’s Sagais of
the eastern coast, if I remember right; their chawats here are often
absurdly small, not even answering the purpose for which they are
intended: one or two have head-dresses of bark, ornamented with little
cowrie-shells, the breadth being sometimes five inches, differing from
the padded helmets we saw on the wax seekers; heavy necklaces of beads
are worn by the men as well as by the women; a few of the young girls
have petticoats composed entirely of beads, on a groundwork of cloth or
perhaps bark.
As I have advanced into the country I have noticed many clearings on
the ridges of the highest hills--perhaps fifty yards in length. It
is in these places that the bones of their chief men rest. As far
as I understand their ways, they place the corpse in a sort of box,
fashioned sometimes like the body of a deer, or what a Murut fancies
is a resemblance, until all the flesh is dissolved from the bones;
these are then placed in a jar, and left on the lofty spots I have
mentioned. I noticed many of these jars in my forced march from Molu,
above the sites of the old Tabun villages, and to the intense disgust
of my guide they were found broken, and the skulls extracted by the
marauding Kayans.
I lately, also, discovered one near my house with the bones nearly
dissolved. It was most probably buried there before the Borneans turned
Mahomedans, as no Muruts have lived on the hills near the capital
since, at least so says tradition. It was found a couple of hundred
yards from the site of the old East India Company’s factory, which was
abandoned about eighty or ninety years ago. The poor men are said to
have their bones buried, while the chiefs have theirs added to those
of their ancestors. I hear the Millanaus follow a custom somewhat
similar. When a chief dies, they place the body in a shed with a raised
floor, and cover it over with sand: they leave it there, till all the
dissolvable parts have run through the open flooring, and when the
remains are perfectly dry, they collect and place them in a jar. All
the relations and friends are then summoned, and they feast and rejoice
for seven days.
I have procured some honey to-day, as I strongly suspect I shall have
little but plain boiled rice to live on during the journey back.