CHAPTEE XXXVm. 



THE SEA DYAKS. 



Habitat. — Number. — Sub-tribes. — Their Physique. — Sea Dyak Women. — Theil 

 Dress and Ornaments. — The Men. — Their Weapons. — War Boats. — Fight- 

 ing Qualities. — Head-taking and Head-hunting. — A Mania for Murder. 

 — Houses and House-life of the Sea Dyaks. — Communal Harmon}'. — 

 Daily Occupations. — Amusements. — Music-making. — Feasts. — Gentle- 

 manly Drunkenness — High Social Position of Women. — The Doctrine of 

 Fair Play. — Strict Observance of th. Rights of Property. — A Race of Debt- 

 Payers. — Morality without Religion. — Infrequeney of Crime. ^Dyak Dis- 

 eases. — Mode of Burial. — The Future of the Race. — Can Christianity 

 Benefit the Dyaks ? 



The tribe of Sea Dyaks has always been celebrated for the bravery 

 and enterprise of its wan-iors, their independence and resistance of 

 oppression in all forms, and their success in maintaining both of- 

 fensive and defensive sub-tribal alliances. In Sarawak they occupy 

 aU the tei'ritory between the Sadong and Rejang Rivers and all the 

 tributaries of the latter up to the Kanowit River which is the boun- 

 dary of the Kyan country. The largest and most powerful clans 

 reside on the Batang Lupar and its tributaries, and the Seribas. 

 The main body of one lai-ge clan, the Sibuyau, inhabits the Lundu 

 River and its tributaries in the western extremity of Sarawak, where 

 they emigrated from the Sibuyau River to escape the aggressions 

 of the people of Sakarran and Seribas. Southward, the clans of 

 this tribe extend to the Kapooas River in the Dutch Territory and 

 beyond it to limits not yet clearly defined. 



In Sarawak there are seven sub-tribes of Sea Dyaks, viz. : the 

 Seribas, SakaxTan, Ballow, Sibuyau, Undup, Batang Ayer, and La- 

 manak. The Sarawak Government estimates the total population 

 at ninety thousand (1879). 



The Sakarran and Seribas clans are the largest, and also the 

 richest in gold and silver ornaments, jars, gongs, brass guns, and 

 such other goods as help to constitute Dyak wealth. 



In physique, the Sea Dyaks, Hke the Hill Dyaks, are below 



