BORNEO 237 



ducts of the forest, and exchange them for tools, clothing, 

 or ornaments, and especially for brass wire, gongs, and 

 brass guns, which constitute the wealth of every Dyak 

 chief. Earthenware vases and other vessels are also 

 greatly prized, and some of the chiefs houses are quite 

 full of them. The Dyaks of the interior of Sarawak are 

 celebrated for the construction of ingenious bamboo sus- 

 pension bridges over the rivers, to enable them to cross 

 to their plantations or to other villages during floods. 

 Mr. St. John tells us that the rivers sometimes rise forty 

 feet during a flood, and that even a single heavy shower 

 will render the fords impassable. The bridges are gener- 

 ally placed where large trees overhang the river. These 

 are connected by strong bamboos lashed together, and 

 supported at several points by cords of rattan. A light 

 but shaky hand-rail is fixed a few feet above, but the 

 whole is so slender and elastic, and the foothold on the 

 smooth bamboo so insecure, that it requires some nerve 

 in a European to cross such a bridge. 



It is worthy of note that the Dyaks of the northern 

 and north-western part of the island show in many in- 

 stances a striking resemblance to the Chinese. That the 

 latter have been an important factor in the production 

 of the race there can be no doubt. They have for 

 centuries settled on the coast, and have taken their 

 wives from the native women. The Dyak of pure blood 

 is only to be found in the interior. A recent writer, in- 

 deed, declares that in some parts of British North Borneo 

 the Dyaks are more than half Chinese. 



Of the date of the arrival of the true Malays in Borneo 

 nothing certain is known. Erom the condition of the 

 court of Brunei as described by Pigafetta, it is evident 

 that they must at that time have been long established. 

 Some centuries must have been needed to build up so 



