IN BORNEAN FORESTS [chap. 



the original native article, made by beating the bark of different 

 trees, or else woven in cotton, and similar to that used for the 

 bedang of the women. On the head the men wear a piece of 

 cotton cloth, elegantly, folded, or else a piece of bark cloth 

 dyed yellow, and not infrequently ornamented with the black 

 and white feathers of the hornbill, or of other large birds, which 

 contribute greatly to the elegance of such a head-dress. 

 The most characteristic ornament of certain tribes of the Seribas and 

 Sakarrang Dyaks consists of the huge brass rings they wear in their 

 ears. Through the biggest rings the fist can easily pass, and these 

 hang below ; above are smaller ones, gradually diminishing, and 

 surrounding the entire margin of the ear, which is for this purpose 

 bored with holes all round. Around the neck they wear necklaces 

 of glass beads or teeth, the latter sometimes human. On the upper 

 arm a thick ring of white shell is very frequently worn, and the 

 forearm is covered with a spiral of brass wire reaching the elbow. 

 Similar spirals are worn on the legs, below the knee. The ornaments 

 worn on the head, neck, arms, legs, etc., etc., and many other minor 

 peculiarities in dress, are far from being of a uniform type, and often 

 are distinctive and characteristic of each tribe. 



The favourite weapons of the Sea-Dyaks are spears and the 

 " sumpitan," usually combined ; but most characteristic is the 

 peculiar long knife or kris called the " parang-ilang." In addition to 

 these they have a kind of sword. For defence they use big shields 

 of a light wood, and padded jackets, an efficient protection against 

 the small poisoned darts blown through the sumpitan. Of these, 

 and also of the parang-ilang, I shall speak at greater length further 

 on. The sumpitan darts are carried in a small bamboo quiver, about 

 fourteen inches in length and three inches in diameter, worn on 

 the side and secured by a hook to the waist-cloth. The Dyaks are 

 poor hands at throwing the spear, and very inferior in this respect 

 to the Papuans and other primitive tribes. They excel, however, 

 in the use of the parang, both in war and for sundry domestic 

 purposes. 



The use in warfare of the arme blanche, which can only be wielded 

 effectually at close quarters, ought to prove great personal courage 

 in those who use it. But although I do not wish to deny a certain 

 amount of this quality to the Dyaks, yet it must nevertheless be 

 confessed that their warfare consists always in sudden assaults on 

 people who cannot defend themselves. Their war expeditions, 

 indeed, do not deserve such a name, for they hardly ever consist in 

 a battle between armed parties, but in sudden attacks and treacher- 

 ous surprises, though often the exploits of Dyak warriors are strictly 

 personal. 



The expeditions of the Sea-Dyaks are less for the sake of glory or 

 of booty than for the purpose of procuring heads. It does not matter 



46 



