NOTES 317 



were at once dispatched to the various homes of the other murderers 

 with strict injunctions to bring back the guilty or, persuasion and 

 threats failing, to attack them. With one exception these parties 

 were successful in their missions and the Pengulus of the various 

 houses for the most part brought down themselves those implicated 

 in the Punan massacre. On the 2Qth news was brought that four of 

 the worst characters, men from the Lamanak River, were intending 

 to evade justice by crossing over to the Empran district, there to join 

 the notorious Bantin ; on hearing this thirty men under Pengulu 

 Dalam Munan were dispatched with orders to bring back the 

 recalcitrant four, dead or alive ; instructions were issued to the 

 small but well-armed force at 5 p.m. and by 5.30 p.m. the boats 

 had started up-river ; at nightfall it came on its quarry lodging in 

 the house of Umbi in the Wong River ; three of the ruffians were 

 at once sent down to Kapit under escort, but Munan for judicious 

 reasons of his own stayed with the other till next day when he too 

 was brought down and incarcerated in company with his fellow- 

 murderers. Eleven in all of the leaders and worst characters were 

 imprisoned and a fine of $5,200 in old jars and gongs was levied 

 on the remaining thirty-two of the gang ; of this sum $1,200 is to be 

 paid to the Punans as compensation (pati nyawa), the property 

 looted from them is to be restored and the heads, all of which were 

 recovered, are now buried at Sibu. From the date of issue of 

 Dr. C. Hose's mandate to the close of the proceedings numerous 

 Dayaks might be seen daily wending their way to Kapit fort, some 

 bearing on their backs the precious jars and gongs in which they 

 had been mulcted ; each jar as it was brought in was carefully 

 examined and its value assessed, whilst the gongs were weighed and 

 their worth readily calculated ; in a week's time a goodly array of 

 these forms of Dayak currency stood in the fort. Care was exer- 

 cised in every individual case to fix the fine in proportion to the 

 gravity of the offence, thus, the eight men who were overtaken by 

 Dr. C. Hose whilst on their way to attack the Punans were fined 

 only $20 apiece ; on the other hand, one evil character failing 

 to pay the requisite amount had his parang, ivory armlets and coat 

 stripped from him to make the full tale complete. During the week 

 of trouble the supply of salt was entirely cut off from innocent and 

 guilty alike and this severe action far from exciting any animosity 

 against the Government amongst the loyal Dayaks stimulated them 

 to fresh efforts to secure all the guilty men as they realized that the 

 embargo would not be removed till that object was achieved. 



"A loyal Dayak, Balin by name, has been entrusted with the task 



