CHAPTER XXVI 



AMONG THE LONG-GLATS — IS FEAR OF EXPOSURE TO THE 

 SUN JUSTIFIED ? — CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LONG- 

 GLATS GOOD-BYE TO THE MAHAKAM 



In the latter part of July we went to the near-by kam- 

 pong, Long Tujo ("a small animal with many legs"), 

 situated at the mouth of another small tributary to the 

 Mahakam. Here live Long-Glats who are located below 

 the other Bahau peoples of the river and are found as 

 far as Batokelau, between the upper and lower rapids. 

 Though Long Iram is rather distant — five days* travel 

 down-stream, and, if the river is high, perhaps two months 

 may be consumed in returning — still its influence was 

 evidenced by the several umbrellas I saw, all black, an 

 adaptation from the high-class Malays and an unusual 

 sight in these parts. The kapala of this large kampong 

 resembled a Malay raja, in that he always carried an 

 umbrella when he walked and looked pale because the 

 sun was not allowed to shine upon him. Two days later, 

 when I photographed the ladies performing dances, they 

 had at least five of these fashionable contrivances. 



It may be stated that natives of the Dutch Indies 

 are generally afraid of the sun. Well-to-do Malays carry 

 umbrellas as a protection against it. In Batavia I read 

 in the newspapers that the Sultan of Priok, when visiting 

 an aviation camp, was so overcome by the heat that he 



had to be carried away, regaining consciousness on arriv- 



270 



