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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



DAYAK COCK-FIGHTERS I SARAWAK, BORNEO 



Note the elaborate head-dress and the remarkable tail-like decoration worn by the native in 



the left foreground. 



fro in a stiff, awkward dance while they 

 sang a monotonous song, calling upon the 

 spirit of the head to bring blessings on 

 the house. The photograph of the head, 

 which I was able to obtain the follow- 

 ing morning, after it had been restored 

 to its place over the fire, shows the rice 

 still within the jaws. 



It has not been my experience that 

 Dayaks make such good companions for 

 any length of time as some of the other 

 natives of Sarawak. On the Semundjan 

 River, however, I became well acquainted 

 with a Dayak who had served in the 

 "Rangers," the Rajah's military force, 

 but had resigned, preferring the comforts 

 of his home, cultivating his own rice 

 field and working industriously for his 

 family. He was in all ways very atten- 

 tive to me, of much assistance in my trips 

 in the jungle, and very grateful for such 

 remedies as I could give the ailing mem- 

 bers of his family. 



His name was Changkok. He quite 

 liked to be the center of any gathering, 

 doubtless feeling that his knowledge of 

 military affairs gave him a certain posi- 

 tion of importance in the community, and 

 he insisted on interrupting the progress 

 of a sword dance one evening to show his 

 skill with an old musket. 



He went through the manual of arms, 

 calling out the orders : "Carry, arms" ; 

 "Order, arms," etc., but introducing nu- 

 merous leaps and gestures from native 

 dances, producing a very grotesque effect. 



Changkok was immensely pleased with 

 my recognition of the military orders as 

 he rendered them in English, but my host, 

 an old chief, was greatly bored and no 

 little annoyed to witness such perversion 

 of the customs of his people. Finally, 

 Changkok appealed to me to confirm his 

 statement that he was showing his un- 

 appreciative friends just how the war 

 dance is really done in Europe. 



