282 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO chap. 



always been a weakness of the Rajah's government 

 that it could assure to the Baram people no pro- 

 tection against attack from those regions, the latter 

 of which, though nominally Dutch territory, was 

 not yet controlled by the Dutch government. In 

 the year 1897 a numerous band of Madangs had 

 migrated into the extreme head of the Baram from 

 the corresponding and closely adjoining part of the 

 Rejang, largely owing to the pressure put upon 

 them by the ever roving and meddlesome Sea 

 Dayaks. Neither these Madangs nor the Kenyahs 

 of the Batang Kayan had entered into friendly 

 relations with the Sarawak government, and they 

 had preserved a hostile attitude towards the Baram 

 tribes. The Resident therefore determined to 

 visit the Madangs, and to invite Kenyah chiefs 

 from the Batang Kayan to meet him on the 

 extreme edge of the Sarawak territory, in order 

 to open friendly intercourse with them, and to 

 persuade them if possible to attend a general 

 peace-meeting at Claudetown, at which the out- 

 standing feuds between them and the Baram folk 

 might be ceremonially washed out in the blood of 

 pigs. For, if this attempt could be carried to a 

 successful issue, it would go far to assure the peace 

 of the whole district, and would add considerably 

 to the volume of trade descending the Baram River. 

 An additional feature of the programme was that 

 the Resident should take with him on his visit a 

 number of the Baram chiefs, and should in the 

 course of the journey make arrangements with the 

 largest possible number of chiefs for their attend- 

 ance at the proposed peace-making. 



Accordingly, on the 9th of October 1898, we 

 started from Claudetown in the Resident's launch 

 with a retinue of half a dozen Sea Dayak rangers 

 and two policemen, and towing some half a dozen 

 boats, including one for our own use up-river. 



