IN BORNEAN FORESTS [chap, v 



them as we awaited the Dyaks from the hill, whom we had sent for 

 to take our luggage. 



These porters did not keep us waiting long, and cheerfully picked 

 up our traps and provisions. The pathway led at first across low 

 swampy grounds, once paddy or rice-fields, but now overgrown with 

 sedges ar^l long lank grass such as Scleria and " lalang," and ferns. 

 The hill is very steep, and we more than once scrambled up per- 

 pendicular faces of rock by the aid of wooden ladders. After 

 climbing up about 300 feet or so, we reached the first village. Here 

 the " Orang Kay a," 1 or head man, invited us to rest in the " Panga " 

 (Fig. 15). This is the house set apart for the residence of young 

 unmarried men, in which the trophy-heads are kept, and here also 

 all ceremonial receptions take place. It consists of a great hall of 

 circular shape, raised above the ground on high stout piles. The 

 roof is conical and pointed, and covered with a thatch of sago and 

 Nipa palm leaves. All round are window-like apertures which can 

 be closed with shutters, hung on so as to be capable of being lifted or 

 lowered when desired. Inside, a low bench runs round the entire 

 hall : it is the general sleeping couch at night and a divan by day. 

 In the centre is the fireplace. The entrance is an aperture in the 

 floor, which is reached by a notched pole. 



In the " Panga " of Serambo were suspended all round a large 

 number of skulls and dried heads, just like those I had seen in the 

 houses of the Sea-Dyaks. Most of these had been taken from the 

 Chinese during the mutiny of 1857. The common dwelling-houses, 

 raised on piles several feet above the ground, were spread over 

 the hill most picturesquely in the midst of great masses of rock, 

 and were embowered in palms, bananas, and other fruit trees. 



We did not remain long in the village, wishing to reach our 

 destination, Pininjau, another 300 feet higher up, without further 

 delay. When we got there we found that the carriers had already 

 arrived with our luggage. The small bungalow which was to be 

 our temporary abode was not situated on the actual summit of the 

 hill, but just below it, in a charming position. It was surrounded 

 by different sorts of fruit trees, especially durians and coconut 

 palms, but not so densely as to impede the view. Pininjau means 

 a place which has an extensive view, and it is well named, for we 

 commanded a great extent of country, and could get a compre- 

 hensive idea of the entire basin of the Sarawak river. Only the 

 mountains in which it arises were hidden from us by the summit of 

 Pininjau, the remainder of the horizon being open. 



Towards the north the view extended to the sea, and the inter- 

 vening plain below us was like an immense carpet of verdure, broken 

 only by the river, which cleaves it in undulating curves, and can be 



1 " Kaya" signifies " rich " in Malay. 

 54 



