THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



145 



A MALAY DWELLING ON THE SARAWAK RIVER : KUCHING, BORNEO 



In the water the owner has built a pen of small poles in front of the steps from his house, 

 so that his family may bathe without danger from crocodiles. When floating quietly in a 

 small canoe, men have been known to be taken from it by a crocodile. Recently a little Malay 

 girl rescued her brother by diving into the water and pressing her thumbs into the crocodile's 

 eyes until the boy was released. 



ably based on his fear that the arrival of 

 a stranger at the critical moment would 

 interfere with tempering the steel. 



In the old days Kayans used to smelt 

 iron and make their own steel, but now 

 they buy European steel bars from the 

 Chinese traders. 



Leaving Tama Ding's house at noon, I 

 arrived about 4 o'clock at the small house 

 of Tama Tapan Semanse, a Kay an, who, 

 having been to a mission school, reads 

 Malay in both Roman and Arabic char- 

 acters and is an agreeable host, but a 

 generally disreputable member of Kayan 

 society. 



As the river was rising rapidly and 

 rain threatening, I was glad to make sure 

 of a dry house for myself and boys rather 

 than risk another uncomfortable night in 

 the prau. 



Three hours' paddling against a strong 

 current brought us on the following 

 morning to the farm house of Tama 



S aging. It was a small house built a few 

 miles up river from his fine, large, per- 

 manent home for the purpose of working 

 new farm lands. 



To Tama Saging I brought a "letter 

 from the Resident, asking his assistance 

 and, if possible, his own company for my 

 trip further up river. Tama Saging him- 

 self cannot read, but a Malay living with 

 him interpreted the letter, which also 

 called upon him to appear at the govern- 

 ment office on business twenty days from 

 the date of the letter. 



A KNOTTED STRING HIS ONLY CALENDAR 



In order to fix the date, I carried with 

 the letter to Tama Saging a tcbuku — that 

 is, a string with twenty knots tied in it. 

 While I had the tebuku I cut off one knot 

 each morning, and Tama Saging later did 

 the same, so that when all the knots were 

 gone he would know the appointed day 

 had arrived. 



