IN BORNEAN FORESTS [chap, xiii 



Very few of the inhabitants of Ruma Unggam had seen a white 

 man before, and certainly none of the women and children. On my 

 first appearance these fled ; but, hearing the laughter of my carriers, 

 they became ashamed of their fears, and allowed me to approach. 

 Having asked the women the reason of their fright, they answered 

 me at once that it was because I was like a Mayas on account of 

 my long beard, and for a time they continued to eye me with an 

 expression of mingled fear and curiosity. Some of the less timid 

 told me that they could not possibly like me unless I cut off my 

 beard. In addition to the usual questions with which I was 

 accustomed to be assailed, many were asked me here concerning the 

 hairiness of whites. The women were particularly anxious to know 

 whether their European sisters also grew beards. 



My carriers were a merry set of youngsters, who came with me on 

 this trip to the lakes by no means unwillingly, for they considered 

 it as a good opportunity for some love adventure. Some of them had, 

 indeed, confided to me their love stratagems, and the art of court- 

 ship among the Dyaks. Certain leaves or flowers tucked in their 

 armlets, or placed amidst the folds of their head-cloth in particular 

 positions ; a certain manner of playing the roden or Jew's harp, 

 which the Dyak gallant is never without ; are the means of secret 

 understandings between lovers. I very soon perceived that this 

 language of love was easily understood by the interested parties. 

 The girls invariably sleep in their pintus, and shut themselves in. 

 But the amorous swains keep an eye on them ; and when they see 

 where they have gone, and have made sure that they are alone, they 

 approach the door under cover of the darkness, and imitate the 

 plaintive mewings of a cat desirous of being let in, and the girl,. 

 taking pity on the repeated laments of her lover, eventually opens 

 the door. 



During the night rain fell incessantly, and next morning it was 

 still falling. It ceased towards nine o'clock, however, and we 

 then continued our journey. We climbed the hills forming the 

 frontier between Sarawak and the Dutch territory — the water- 

 shed of the basins of the Batang Lupar and the Pontianak. The 

 pass here is only about 1,450 feet in altitude. The path is on nearly 

 level ground, and traverses a fine old forest, where walking is easy, 

 but, as always in such places, swarms with myriads of leeches. I 

 noticed various fallen fruits on the ground belonging to species I 

 had not met with before ; but I did not see a single plant in blossom, 

 shrub or herb, that I could reach with the hands. 



When we reached the Sungei Kantu, the stream which collects, 

 on the Dutch side, the waters of the hills we had descended, we 

 found it so swollen by the recent rains and so deep and rapid that 

 it was quite impossible to ford it. We were thus obliged to con- 

 struct a bridge, but with a dozen of willing Dyaks this was not a 



172 



