SEA-DYAK WEAPONS. 211 



made of two pieces of wood bound neatly together 

 with plaited rattans, and bands of brass or silver. 



The sword amongst the sea-Dyaks, though often pre- 

 cisely similar to the ' parang,' is frequently, amongst 

 the Sebooyoh Dyaks, of a curved shape, the broadest 

 part of the blade being at the point of its curvature, 

 but not having the backward bend of the handle. It is 

 altogether a more serviceable weapon, the hilt being 

 generally made of deer's horn, very rudely carved. 

 An ornament projecting from the lower part of the 

 weapon, near the handle, serves as a guard for the 

 hand; the handle of the weapon is generally ornamented 

 with brass and silver; the sheath with a large bundle 

 of the fine feathers of the argus pheasant, from which 

 the quill has been pared, which, by its rigidity, would 

 prevent the wind causing the feathers to wave about. 



The spears of the sea-Dyaks are made of several 

 forms, but those most used are the broad, double- 

 edged blades, which are about one foot or more in length; 

 these are attached to handles about six to eight feet long, 

 as are also the sagittate blades, which are next in esteem. 

 They are frequently made in pairs, so that their blades fit 

 into a double case ; they are then carried as one weapon. 

 The f sumpitan,' which is a tube of eight to ten feet in 

 length, through which arrows or darts of nine to twelve 

 inches are blown, the points of which are generally 

 poisoned with the upas, are sometimes used by those 

 Dyaks in the vicinity of the Kyans, from whom they 

 have perhaps borrowed the practice ; neither bows nor 

 arrows are known in the islands. 



p 2 



