AN EXPEDITION TO PENRISEN 253 



The Pengara, or native magistrate, of Sennah turned 

 up in the evening with his son, a lad of about four- 

 teen years of age, who, it was plain to see, was the 

 very apple of his father's eye, and endowed with all 

 the petulant airs and graces shown by spoilt children 

 in every clime. To the Pengara we explained our plans, 

 namely, that we intended to live for three weeks on 

 Mt. Penrisen, that therefore it was necessary for a 

 small hut to be constructed for us there, and for all 

 our baggage to be transported to our mountain camp ; 

 to every carrier we would give a present of tobacco, 

 but he could expect no pay, for this was a Govern- 

 ment expedition, and free service for a couple of days 

 was his due to Government officials. The Pengara 

 raised no objections to our proposals, but said that 

 all details could be arranged more expeditiously in 

 Sennah, and he offered us an invitation to the chief's 

 house for the following day. Next day, then, we trans- 

 ferred ourselves and belongings to Sennah, where we 

 received a cordial welcome. A Land-Dayak village does 

 not consist of one immensely long house as do the 

 villages of the Sea-Dayaks, Kenyans, and Kayans, but 

 of several houses, all, of course, raised on piles, and all 

 more or less joined to one another in an irregular 

 manner. I have visited several Land-Dayak villages, 

 but I never could find any definite or constant plan in 

 their structure ; they may generally be described as a 

 loose jumble of houses very roughly arranged in a 

 hollow square, one side of which is open. The centre 

 of the square is occupied by a raffle of timber and 

 bamboo, with a few connecting bridges, and the holy 

 of holies, the Head-House, stands in the middle. At 

 Lanchang village, in the Upper Sadong, the Head-House 



