CHAPTEE VI. 



BORNEO — THE DYAKS. 



rpHE manners and customs of the aborigines of Borneo 

 have been described in great detail, and with much 

 fuller information than I possess, in the writings of Sir 

 James Brooke, Messrs. Low, St. John, Johnson Brooke, and 

 many others. I do not propose to go over the ground 

 again, but shall confine myself to a sketch, from personal 

 observation, of the general character of the Dyaks, and of 

 such physical, moral, and social characteristics as have 

 been less frequently noticed. 



The Dyak is closely allied to the Malay, and more 

 remotely to the Siamese, Chinese, and other Mongol races. 

 All these are characterised by a reddish-brown or yellowish- 

 brown skin of various shades, by jet-black straight hair, 

 by the scanty or deficient beard, by the rather small and 

 broad nose, and high cheekbones ; but none of the Malayan 

 races have the oblique eyes which are characteristic of 

 the more typical Mongols. The average stature of the 

 Dyaks is rather more than that of the Malays, while it is 



