IN BORNEAN FORESTS [chap. 



certainly have been believed. It was with real sorrow that they 

 heard me assert that in Europe the sky was quite as far from the 

 earth as in Borneo. 



But who can say that the belief of these Dyaks was not that 

 of many people of the West in prehistoric times during the Stone 

 Age ? Or that the idea of the possibility of the gods descending to 

 the earth may not have had its origin in the above-mentioned 

 notions as to the shape of heaven and earth ? The gods of Olym- 

 pus may have been in origin nothing more than invaders from the 

 East, who profited by the beliefs of the primitive peoples of the West 

 to inculcate in them greater respect. It is a mistake, I feel sure, 

 to believe that the present-day savage populations of Southern 

 Asia and its islands are inferior in point of intelligence to the primi- 

 tive peoples of Europe. Far from this being the case, I imagine 

 that, making allowances for differences in climate, the manner of 

 life of the two peoples must have had great analogy. 



At 10 a.m. the next day we began to descend the Sakarrang, 

 which for many miles below Ruma Sale is an almost unbroken succes- 

 sion of rapids, and has to be navigated with great care. My party 

 was a numerous one, and as large boats were dangerous we divided 

 into two. In each of these boats were two experienced hands 

 from Ruma Sale. We passed, almost at starting, two very dangerous 

 places. My boat, skilfully handled, shot past the rocks in the 

 boiling and foaming waters, but we were very nearly swamped, 

 and got into calm water only in the nick of time. The boat which 

 followed, and which carried our supplies, was prudently dragged over 

 the rocks by the crew, a longer and more fatiguing, but much safer 

 operation. After this we passed the other rapids very successfully, 

 and the rivalry between the two crews sent us along at a prodigious 

 rate. 



• At noon we reached a village, where we found quite a number 

 of people assembled. A meeting of the neighbouring chiefs was 

 being held to give judgment in the case of a man who had married 

 a second wife, the first one being yet alive. This appears to be a 

 very grave offence against the established customs of this tribe, 

 for I was told that the guilty person ought to be punished with death. 

 I found the chiefs squatting in a circle on mats, each having in front 

 of him a dish and a cup, both of which were empty, while around 

 the assembly gongs, drums, and especially tajaus, were dis- 

 posed. 



I do not know what was the verdict given by the judges, 

 because our arrival interrupted the proceedings, and I only stopped 

 for the time necessary to change my boat and crew. I was also able 

 to buy some fowls, eggs, and rice, which were abundant here. At 

 every village we came to we changed boat and crew ; it appears 

 that such is the custom of the Sakarrang Dyaks, and that they 



