DYAK LOVE OF THEIR CHILDREN. 197 



can separate, but which they seldom avail themselves 

 of, such a practice would not seem necessary. All the 

 Dyaks are exceedingly fond of their children, and 

 proud of their families in proportion to the number of 

 them. The curious practice of sinking their own 

 name on the birth of the first child, and being after- 

 wards denominated by its name with the prefix of 

 the particle Pa, is strongly illustrative of their family 

 pride. The Pa placed before the name of the child is 

 a contraction of the word bapa, and gives a stranger 

 immediately to understand that Pa Such-an-one is the 

 father of children. Thus the chief of the land Dyaks, 

 who is, or was, named Nimuk, is called Pa Jaguen, 

 Jaguen being the name of his eldest child. This 

 curious custom is also mentioned by Mr. Marsden as 

 being prevalent among the inland tribes of Sumatra. 

 The term Ma, a contraction of the word ama, is 

 mother, and is also occasionally used as a polite method 

 of designating the mother of a family ; but they are 

 always called in the village by their own names. It 

 may be observed of this custom, that, should the eldest 

 child be dead, or lost, having become a slave to the 

 enemies of the tribe, the parent is called after the next 

 surviving one, or the next in seniority which remains 

 with him. Thus Pa Jaguen was called Pa Belal until 

 his daughter Jaguen was restored to him from Sakarran 

 slavery by the assistance of the Rajah of Sarawak. 

 I have had frequent proofs of the love they bear their 

 children, and the longing with which they desire the 



