THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



123 



SARAWAK SOCIETY OCCUPYIXG A RIXG-SIDE BOX AT A COCK-FIGHT 



The onlookers are grouped on a platform at the end of a Dayak house, which is built 

 high from the ground. The space beneath is utilized as a combination pigsty and chicken 

 run. Note the family dog on the platform. 



ized that a box was talking their own 

 language in the voice of one of their own 

 number. 



The mechanism of the phonograph was 

 fastened to the under side of the cover of 

 the box that contained it. so that by in- 

 verting the cover and fastening it to the 

 box a good stand was provided. One 

 evening, when I had finished and was 

 lifting the cover, an old man touched me 

 on the shoulder, with the remark that he 

 wanted to have a look inside, doubtless 

 thinking that he was going to expose 

 some trick on my part. 



Another man, who had frequently been 

 down the river to the government sta- 

 stions and heard ordinary European rec- 

 ords, said that there was nothing so very 

 extraordinary in a box that simply talks 

 the language of the white man. but that 



a box should be able to talk their lan- 

 guage was indeed wonderful. On an- 

 other occasion I heard a young Dayak 

 ask a stranger if he had ever seen the 

 "box that talks." "No," replied the 

 latter, "I'm only an up-river man." 



A GEXTLE, KIXDLY PEOPLE; 



It is the general testimony of travelers 

 in Sarawak that the Land Dayaks are a 

 gentle, kindly people, easy to get on with. 

 grateful and loyal to their friends. This 

 was certainly my experience with Juni. 

 a Land Dayak boy. 



Juni was my cook and personal servant 

 when I went up the Limbang River, and 

 he was tireless in his devotion to my com- 

 fort, although, it must be admitted, some- 

 times a trifle careless ; as on one morn- 

 ing when he packed my rice, raisins, 



