Ill 



THE PEOPLES OF BORNEO 33 



become possessed by a furious excitement that drives 

 them on to acts of the most heartless treachery and 

 the most brutal ferocity. 



All the Sea Dayaks speak one language, with 

 but slight local diversities of dialect. It is ex- 

 tremely simple, being almost devoid of inflections, 

 and of very simple grammatical structure, relying 

 largely on intonation. It is closely allied to Malay. 



(2) The Kayans are widely distributed throughout 

 central Borneo, and are to be found in large villages 

 situated on the middle reaches of all the principal 

 rivers with the exception of those that run to the 

 north coast. They occupy in the main a zone 

 dividing the districts of the lower reaches of the 

 rivers from the central highlands from which all 

 the rivers flow. 



They are a warlike people, but less truculent 

 than the Sea Dayaks, more staid and conservative 

 and religious, and less sociable. They do not 

 wantonly enter into quarrels ; they respect and obey 

 their chiefs. They are equally industrious with 

 the Sea Dayaks, and though somewhat slow and 

 heavy in both mind and body, they are more skilled 

 in the handicrafts than any of the other peoples. 

 They also speak one language, which presents even 

 less local diversity than the Sea Dayak language. 



(3) The Kenyahs predominate greatly in the 

 highlands a little north of the centre of Borneo 

 where all the large rivers have their sources ; but 

 they are found also in widely scattered villages 

 throughout the Kayan areas. In all respects they 

 show closer affinities with the Kayans than with 

 the Sea Dayaks ; as regards custom and mode of 

 life they closely resemble the Kayans, with whom 

 they are generally on friendly terms ; but they are 

 easily distinguished from the Kayans by well-marked 

 differences of bodily and mental characters, as 

 well as by language. Physically they are without 



VOL. I D 



