LAND DYAK VILLAGES. 279 



and the tribes massacred and destroyed. This, however, 

 the Sakarran Dyaks could not themselves have accom- 

 plished, had they been unassisted by the fire-arms of the 

 Malays. 



In appearance, the villages of the Hill tribes differ 

 considerably from the houses of the Sea Dyaks pre- 

 viously described : though they are built much upon the 

 same principles Though these are by no means so well 

 carried out, the same terrace-like arrangement is adhered 

 to, where the nature of the ground will admit of it, but 

 this arrangement is never seen in such perfection as 

 amongst the Sea tribes, on account of the inequalities 

 of the surface, and the rocky nature of the sides of 

 mountains, chosen for their position. 



For these reasons, a row of houses seldom contains 

 more than from six to ten residences, and these rows 

 are scattered in all directions, no regularity of position 

 being attempted in the arrangement of the village, but 

 each terrace being placed as near as possible to the 

 others, for the purposes of defence and mutual pro- 

 tection. The houses, like those of the Sea Dyaks, are 

 raised upon posts of Balean, or some other hard wood, 

 though the latter are by no means so stout and large : 

 more of them, consequently, are necessary to support 

 the building. Their houses, individually, are generally 

 much smaller and less commodious, particularly among 

 the poorer tribes. But I have observed that those who 

 have most felt the cherishing influence of the European 

 government, have built houses equally commodious and 

 substantial with those of the other divisions. This is 



