286 DYAK BRIDGES AND 



as possible in a straight line. The object of the paths, 

 until recently, has seldom been to connect the villages, 

 and render communication between them easy, but this 

 has generally been fortuitously brought about by the 

 paths leading to the farms of the neighbouring tribes 

 meeting each other. 



All the paths of the Land Dyaks are formed of the 

 stems of trees, raised two feet above the ground, on 

 supports placed under them. Sometimes larger trees 

 are employed for this purpose, but the usual size is 

 about three inches in diameter: the bark from the 

 upper surface, as they lie in their horizontal position, 

 together with a portion of the wood, is cut off, so 

 as to leave a flat rough surface for the foot of the 

 wayfarer : in good roads, and where bamboos are abun- 

 dant, these canes are employed ; two large ones, laid 

 parallel with each other, forming the breadth of the 

 path ; but as bamboos more readily decay than the wood 

 of which the more common paths is made, these, 

 though much preferable when new, and in dry weather, 

 are more troublesome when old and decaying, or from 

 the slippery surface of the bamboo on rainy days. 



Should a river, or torrent, obstruct the way, the diffi- 

 culty is soon removed by the Dyaks, who having 

 previously sought and found two large trees opposite 

 each other, which, as much as possible, overhang the 

 river, carry the road up to a suspension bridge formed 

 of bamboo, and hung by large rattans fastened above 

 to the strong branches of the trees: the breadth of 

 the path of the bridge, is never more than that of one 

 bamboo, and a rail of the same material is carried along 



