APPEARANCE AND DRESS OF SEA-DYAKS. 177 



Perhaps they only become manangs after having 

 proved themselves incapable of becoming the fathers 

 of families, but I am not inclined to believe that such 

 is the case. 



In general appearance the sea Dyaks have the 

 advantage of the Malays and land tribes, being of a 

 higher, though still short, stature, well made, and 

 with limbs of excellent proportions ; a subdued and 

 cairn, but resolute air ; an imposing carriage, walking 

 with a light and graceful step, and peculiarly self- 

 possessed bearing ; these qualities impress the stranger 

 more favourably than the smaller stature, less elegant 

 figures, darker features, and more cunning expression 

 of the countenance of the Malays. 



The dress of the sea Dyaks is very simple, the prin- 

 cipal article of it being the chawat, a long, narrow 

 cloth, which passing several times round the waist, 

 and being brought between the thighs, has its broader 

 and ornamented ends hanging before and behind to 

 the knees. The ends hanging thus have very much 

 the appearance of broad tails at a distance, and when 

 these are made of the inner bark of trees, as is fre- 

 quent among the land Dyaks, might easily suggest the 

 idea of tails j and we consequently find that a race of 

 men with these appendages inhabiting the interior is a 

 notion very prevalent along the coast. In ordinary 

 weather, and when about their usual occupations, the 

 chawat above described is their only clothing, but in 

 wet or cold days they wear a coarse jacket of cotton, 



N 



