212 WARS OF THE SEA-DYAKS. 



In action, the left hand of the Dyak supports a 

 large wooden shield, which covers the greater part 

 of his body. It is made of the light wood of the plye 

 or jelutong, about three feet long, and twenty inches 

 broad, convex towards the centre, and of the same 

 breadth throughout, but cut off angularly from each 

 side at the ends, so that its greatest length is the 

 middle. The 'badju tilam,' or padded jacket, has been 

 before noticed. The spears used for throwing at the 

 enemy, and with which an engagement is usually com- 

 menced, are about three feet long, made of durable 

 wood, which is further hardened by fire : they seldom 

 do much injury to the enemy if he be prepared to 

 receive them: they are thrown with great force but 

 little skill, as they never practise during peace the use 

 of the weapons of war. 



The wars of the sea-Dyaks are very frequent, and 

 much more bloody than those of the Malays or the 

 land tribes. Many of the feuds in which the Dyaks 

 of Sarebas and Sakarran are now engaged, are quar- 

 rels which arose in the times of their ancestors ; and 

 the ostensible object in carrying on of which now is, 

 that their balance of heads may be settled ; for these 

 people keep a regular account of the numbers slain on 

 each side on every occasion: these memorandums have 

 now, perhaps, become confused amongst the sea-tribes, 

 but amongst those of the hills, where fewer people are 

 killed, and fighting is less frequent, the number to 

 which each tribe is indebted to the other is regularly 

 preserved. A hill chief once told me that he durst 



