1843.] THE DYAK DRESS. 27 



of respect to Mr. Brooke, whom they were prepared to 

 receive. When we consider that every man in the village 

 had to obtain a trophy of this revolting description be- 

 fore he could be permitted to pay his addresses to his 

 lady love, it is highly probable that the living members 

 had abstracted theirs in order to afford us the shelter 

 which this building offered, independent of its being the 

 chamber of the honoured guest ! The village itself con- 

 tributed little to interest; the houses were all in the 

 same style, built upon posts, not raised more than three 

 feet from the ground, and as filthy as can well be ima- 

 gined. 



The dress of the male is simply a cloth about the 

 loins, descending about half way to the knee, with a jacket 

 of tough material woven by the women, and frequently 

 padded with bark cloth to withstand the point of the 

 arrow ; the legs and arms are generally ornamented with 

 rows of brass wire rings covering them to the extent of 

 about a foot. The female dress is mostly a short sarong 

 of very substantial workmanship, displaying no want of 

 taste in the pattern, and not extending below the knee. 

 The sarong generally in use throughout other parts of 

 the eastern islands, consists of about the same quantity of 

 material as may be required to make a gown of the pre- 

 sent style, or three times the circumference round the 

 shoulders ; it is open at top and bottom, and, extending 

 in length from the shoulders to the heels, is generally 

 overlapped, twisted round the waist by the upper edge, 

 and, with the twist turned in, is retained like a petticoat ; 

 sometimes it is thrown loosely over one shoulder and 

 under the opposite arm, at other times over the head 



