244 THEIR HONESTY. 



insist upon their retaining, as they were useless to 

 me. 



On many occasions, I have known that, towards the end 

 of the season, before the new rice was ripe which is gene- 

 rally a time of scarcity with them and when there was 

 very little to eat in the village, these people have brought 

 it out to present to me ; but at this season I never taxed 

 their liberality, but always brought with me a supply from 

 the town sufficient for my wants, and was frequently able 

 to return, in their necessity, that with which they had 

 so freely parted, earlier in the year. In travelling also, I 

 found them willing, on all occasions, to furnish me as many 

 men as I might require for the transport of my luggage, 

 which was usually, on a long journey, from twenty to 

 thirty ; by these means, my traps followed me from 

 village to village, all over the country, without any 

 person with them, every thing being left to the care and 

 known honesty of the Dyaks ; and though many of my 

 things were the articles they would most have valued 

 for dress or ornament, an instance of the slightest pilfer- 

 ing never occurred, though it might have been constantly 

 committed, without the slightest danger of immediate 

 detection. 



On leaving a village, my property, which had been in 

 use, was left strewed about the house in which I had 

 been staying, my Malays rarely troubling themselves to 

 see anything properly packed ; but the scrupulous careful- 

 ness of the Dyaks prevented the loss of anything, and I 

 have been followed by them with articles which had been 

 thrown away, but which they feared might be of service. 

 Having intimated to the chief the village to which I was 



