IN TIMOR, 451 



trees and crao;s. Hostilities 



offensive army pillaging and ravaging all they can lay hands 

 on, robbing every undefended dwelling, ruthlessly decapitating 

 helpless men, women, and children, and even infants. 



In most districts all the w^arriors fight on foot ; but the 

 Lamkitos, who live between Alias on the south coast and the 



4 



great mountain of Kabalaki, fight from horseback" with their 

 legs tied under their horses' bellies, so that, in case of their 

 being wounded or killed, they may be carried back to their 

 onn village with their heads on their shoulders. 



When one of their number has fallen, sorely wounded or 

 killed, there is in general a grand stampede of all his com- 

 panions. The valiant marksman rushes forward, and, standing 

 over his fallen foe, calls out to his friends, " Ho ! what is the 

 name of this man ? " His friends call back, " Ho ! that is so 

 and so ; " to which the response is, " Know, then, that I am so 

 and so," and, lifting up his enemy's head by the ear or the 

 hair, he decapitates liim at a blow. He carries off the head in 

 triumpli, retires to his own house, and sets about preparing and 

 preserving the head, by removing the brain and drying the 

 flesh and skin before a slow fire. He never washes his hands 

 till he returns with the army to its own capital, when those 

 who come back carrying heads are saluted by the women, who 

 along with the Dafo LiiU have come out to meet them with 

 music, with the cry of Osivai! Osivai! (" Braves ! braves! ") 



For every head the fortunate warrior briugs back he 

 receives a present from the Kajah, and a circular disk, or lua 

 of gold, which he henceforth continually wears round his neck 

 a Timorese Victoria Cross. The captured heads are carefully 

 preserved by both sides in the conflict, till such time as 

 amicable relations can be established between them, when a 

 general assembly of the two kingdoms is held whither the 

 heads taken in the war are brought also, and amid terrible 

 towlings and lamentations they are restored by each side to 

 the relatives of the deceased. Each "Brave," in giving up 

 the head he has taken, gives a small gift to the relatives that 

 friendship between them may be restored, which is cemented 

 by, as usual, a boisterous feast, concluded by heavy drinking, 

 and the wild dancing of the Tahedu already described. The 

 rfipnvnT.r.ri T.^„.i, „_„ ,,^^ ■r^.-.r.c.^ «n'fTi thft uriburied members, 



I 



