IN BORNEAN FORESTS [chap. 



plai (Alstonia, sp.). These trees are considered tribal property, and 

 cannot be felled. This is not the case with the camphor trees, 

 which belong to the finder. 



Various Kayan tribes are great collectors of edible birds' nests, 

 but not those of the Tubao, there being no caverns in their territory. 

 The caves inhabited by the small swifts (Collocalia) are only found in 

 limestone hills, and .these appear to be wanting in the basin of the 

 Bintulu and Rejang rivers. On the other hand, they are frequent 

 from Barram to the Limbang, as well as in the Sarawak district. 



The Kayans are able workers in iron, and make finely tempered 

 parangs ; but the notable thing is that they do not work imported 

 iron, but extract it themselves from ore found in their own country. 



I have already mentioned the parang -ilang as the characteristic 

 weapon of the Kayans ; but it must be understood that it is not 

 merely a war implement or weapon, but also their ordinary cutting 

 instrument, in common daily use. It is intermediate between a 

 sword and a big knife ; the blade is about twenty inches in length, 

 widest at the end (two to two and a half inches), and narrowing down 

 to the handle. The back of the blade is thick and straight, but the 

 rest is slightly convex on one side and concave on the other, which 

 enables the skilful striker to inflict very deep cuts. I used always 

 to carry one of these parang-ilangs on my excursions, and had 

 acquired some skill in using it, so as to cut off even big branches at 

 a single stroke. But for the Kayans, as well as for the Dyaks, the 

 envied stroke is that which severs a head at a single blow. In 

 unskilful hands the weapon may prove dangerous to the holder, for, 

 on account of the curve of the blade, the cut can only be given in a 

 certain direction, otherwise it is apt to rebound off the object struck, 

 and may then wound the striker. 



Parang-ilangs have different names according to the various 

 kinds of accessories and ornaments attached to them. In some, the 

 blade is quite plain ; in others, the back of the widened extremity is 

 cut and worked in ornate patterns, while along the thicker portion, 

 towards the back, bits of brass are often let in. In the common 

 ones the hilt or handle is of wood ; but in the finer sort it is of stag's 

 horn, elaborately carved, and always adorned with tufts of human 

 hair. Every ornament has a meaning and a special name. The 

 scabbard is made of wood, in two longitudinal halves, secured by 

 neat, elegant whippings of rotang. It is also sometimes carved 

 and ornamented with emblematic signs and charms. 



The Tubao Kayans take good care of their dogs, which are well 

 fed, and not famished bags of bones as those of the Dyaks. They 

 possess many of them, and use them in chasing the boar, which 

 they kill with spears, never having recourse to traps as the Dyaks do. 



The evident prosperity, I might say opulence, of the Tubao 

 Kayans was due to their camphor and guttapercha, which they trade 



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