CHAPTER XIX 



THE SAPUTANS — HOW THE EARS OF THE CHIEF WERE 

 PIERCED — ^AN UNEXPECTED ATTACK OF FILARIASIS — 

 DEPARTURE FROM THE SAPUTANS — DOWN THE KASAO 

 RIVER — "tobogganing" THE KIHAMS 



The Penyahbongs, men of the jungle, who left us to 

 return home, had not proved such good workers as the 

 Saputans, who, though in a pronounced degree smaller, 

 mostly below medium size, are very strongly built. The 

 first named, nevertheless, are their superiors both physi- 

 cally and morally. The more homely-looking Saputans, 

 though friendly and willing to assist you, try to gain an 

 advantage in bargaining. They set high prices on all 

 things purchased from them and cheat if permitted to 

 do so. Although no case of actual stealing came to my 

 notice, they are dishonest, untruthful, and less intelli- 

 gent than the tribes hitherto met. The chiefs from two 

 neighbouring kampongs paid us visits, and they and 

 their men made a somewhat better impression, besides 

 having less skin disease. 



The Saputans are a crude and somewhat coarse peo- 

 ple who formerly lived in caves in the mountains further 

 east, between the Mahakam and the Murung (Barito) 

 Rivers, and migrated here less than a hundred years 

 ago. Lidju, a Long-Glat raja from Batokelau, who at 



one time was my interpreter and assistant, told me that 



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