BORNEO 



79 



A JAVA MAN. 



her brass cuirass inch by inch upwards 

 over her head." In some cases the rings 

 are of solid brass. On one occasion a 

 girl was being conveyed by water to her 

 wedding feast when the boat upset, with 

 the resiilt that she was drowned \>y the 

 great weight of metal she carried. 



Dya houses are generally very large, 

 many families residing together. Every 

 village has a common house where the 

 young unmarried men sleep and travellers 

 are lodged. The Dyas cultivate many 

 kinds of fruit and vegetables, and they 

 are fond of tobacco and cane sugar. In 

 hunting they use the sumpitan, or blow- 

 pipe, a wooden tube about 8 feet long, 

 through which small poisoned arrows are 

 blown. 



An interesting description of a 

 curious method of courtship, which is 

 found both among the Laud and Sea 

 Dyas, is given by Sir S. St. John, who 

 says: "Besides the ordinary attention 

 which a young man is able to pay to 

 the girl he desires to make his wife as 



helping her in her farm work, and in 

 carrying home her load of vegetables or 

 wood, as well as in making her little 

 presents, as a ring, or some brass chain- 

 work with which the women adorn their 

 waists, or even a petticoat there is a very 

 peculiar testimony of regard which is 

 worthy of note. About nine or ten at 

 night, when the family is supposed to be 

 fast asleep within the mosquito curtains 

 in the private apartment, the lover quietly 

 slips back the bolt by which the door 

 is fastened and enters the room on 

 tip-toe. He goes to the curtains of his 

 beloved, gently awakes her, and she 

 on hearing who it is rises at once, 

 and they sit conversing together, and 

 making arrangements for the future in 

 the dark over a plentiful supply of sirrah- 

 leaf and betel-nut, which it is the 

 gentleman's duty to provide. If when 

 awoke the young lady rises and accepts 

 the prepared betel-nut, happy is the lover, 

 for his suit is in a fair way to prosper; 

 but if, on the other hand, she rises and 



1'holo by Nfyrttti <C Zambra] 



A JAVA WOMAN. 



[Lom/iw. 



