82 THROrCil CKNTRAL BORNEO 



having learned to cultivate rice and to make prahus. We 

 found the people of Long Pelaban camped on a stony 

 beach in two long rows of rough shelters, each row con- 

 taining many families under one common roof of bark. 

 The Long Mahan people had gone farther and camped 

 on a similar beach, and between the two I discovered a 

 pleasant location in the jungle by ascending the high bank 

 of the river. Hardly had we finished putting up our tents 

 when a violent thunder-storm arose, which continued un- 

 abated for half an hour, and thereafter with diminished 

 force throughout the night. Many of the Dayaks moved 

 up to our position, and next day the river ran high, so we 

 did not make a start. 



In the morning, after a fine bath, as I was about to 

 take breakfast, a large party of visitors from Long Mahan 

 approached. They were unacquainted with the Malay 

 tongue and showed obvious signs of embarrassment, but 

 by distributing a little candy to the children and biscuits 

 to the adults harmony was soon established. Two un- 

 usually attractive small girls wearing valuable bead neck- 

 laces, who at first had appeared takut (frightened), un- 

 concernedly seated themselves on their heels in front of 

 me. The others perched in a long row on two poles 

 which they laid on the wet ground, all of them preparing 

 to watch me eat breakfast. Among other things the 

 menu included half a dozen small boiled potatoes brought 

 from Tandjong Selor and obtained from Central Java; 

 they usually keep for four or five weeks and are a valuable 

 aid in maintaining good health in the tropics. 



The Kenyahs had never seen i)otatoes before, and one 



