338 THE MILANOWES AND THE MERT PEOPLE. 



of the Malays, than any of the wild tribes previously 

 described. Nearly all of the inhabitants of the large 

 tribe of Rejang, on that river, have adopted the dress, 

 and many of them the religion of the Malays. Those 

 of Palo Egan, and the other places at which they reside, 

 and which are situated close to the sea, and are fre- 

 quented by the Malays for the purposes of trade, have 

 been similarly tainted by the practices of these people. 

 But the tribes further inland, on these rivers, are said 

 still to preserve their original customs, and to clothe 

 themselves as the Dyaks do. Their mild and peaceful 

 characters seem to approach those of the Land or Hill 

 Dyaks, more than any of the other divisions of the 

 inhabitants of the island ; and though they pursue, like 

 them, the practice of keeping the heads of their enemies, 

 from their peaceful dispositions it is rare that a new 

 one is added to their store. At Hoya, where they 

 enjoy a moderately good government, under the care 

 of a Pafigeran, who is anxious to promote the welfare 

 of his province, they have fine flourishing villages, 

 or towns, in the interior; but are much disturbed by 

 the Dyaks of Kenawit, and others in the interior of 

 their own, and the Rejang rivers, who make constant 

 descents upon them. 



In 1846, while we lay at the town of Hoya, in the 

 steam-ship, ' Phlegethon,' a party of Milanowes, coming 

 from their village to visit Mr. Brooke, was attacked 

 by some of these marauders, who were fortunately worsted 

 in the conflict; and having two men killed, jumped 

 overboard, and left their boat in possession of the 



