THE "NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



135 



CHILDREN INSURE DOMESTIC HAPPINESS IN SARAWAK 



Many of the young girls of the Kayan tribe have their legs tattooed in a fine and intri- 

 cate design, which, at a distance, strikingly resembles lace stockings. Although the Kayans 

 are skillful in this art, the flesh frequently becomes badly swollen. 



Resident received pleasant social visits 

 from natives, some bringing news from 

 up river ; others calling for mere friendly 

 gossip. 



This was one of the most delightful 

 hours of the day. There was the beautiful 

 expanse of jungle and river glowing in 

 the colors of the brief tropical sunset, 

 with sometimes a native boat or raft of 

 rattan drifting gently down to the Chi- 

 nese shops or bazaar ; the short silence 

 that comes at dusk, when the birds and 

 insects of the day cease their chirping 

 and those of the night have not yet be- 

 gun — all these things bringing a sense of 

 peace that made the great world seem 

 indeed very far away. 



It was on such an evening, some weeks 

 after the visit to Long Palei, that Tama 

 Tijan, the young chief, and a number of 

 his men came to visit, giving me the op- 

 portunity of returning their hospitality. 

 They sang for my phonograph, and Tama 



Tijan, who is a good musician, played the 

 kdluri, a reed instrument fashioned from 

 bamboo pipes set into a large gourd, 

 resembling somewhat the bagpipe, but 

 softer and more melodious (see p. -146). 

 One of the men gave the war dance, in 

 which the dancer, springing lightly from 

 side to side, guarding himself with a 

 shield covered with tufts of hair, and 

 brandishing his parang, or short Kayan 

 sword, exhibits the skill with which he 

 parries the thrusts of his enemy, and 

 finally overcomes him and takes his head. 



GIVING THE "AMERICAN WAR DANCE" BY 

 NATIVE REQUEST 



It was all very interesting until Tama 

 Julan, a jolly old fellow, made the em- 

 barrassing suggestion that, as they had 

 been showing me how the war dance was 

 done in Borneo, it was only fair that I 

 should show how it was done in America. 



Instead of explaining, as I ought to 



