TO SEREKEI. . 365 



Malays, and the chief informed me that he himself 

 and a great many of his tribe, had embraced the 

 Mahometan faith; but that the Milanowes, in general, 

 held much the same notions of religion as the Dyaks. 



Lower down the river are the houses of the Siboo 

 Dyaks; they are not so large or well built as those 

 of the Rejangs I had just left. These people still 

 retain their Dyak dresses and customs, and many of 

 them had stars tattooed on their persons. This, and 

 the peculiar Parang called the Parang Hang, shows 

 that they have been infected, in some measure, by the 

 customs of the Kyans, whose country is in the inte- 

 rior of the Rejang river. 



The ilang is remarkable for its convex and concave 

 blades, (described in the preceding chapter.) The 

 Dyaks rarely laid aside their swords and spears, even in 

 their boats : this would seem to argue a state of inse- 

 curity incompatible with the size of the place; unless, 

 notwithstanding the friendship they profess for us, they 

 are in reality jealous of, and afraid of our intentions. 



On the right hand of the river, are the houses of 

 the Malays miserable residences, built on Nibong posts, 

 and of Atap or Nipah leaves. They appear, however, 

 to contain very many inhabitants, and are placed thickly 

 together along the bank on each side of the hills ; on 

 which stand the Balei, and the large new house which 

 the chief is building. I should suppose the whole 

 population of the place to be between four and five 

 thousand. Though the houses are poor in appearance, 



