AND BENGKARUM MOUNTAIN. 49 
As my collections were now in excess of the botanical paper I had 
brought with me, I resolved to make as hasty a return as possible 
to Bidi by way of Siluas. The next morning on making our way 
through the Dyaks paddy field, at the far entrance I came upon 
a splendid trophy which these Dyaks had erected as an offering to 
the spirits who guard the growth of their crops; it consisted of 
small sized wooden models of all the implements they use in 
agriculture as well as jars, parangs, and the common utensils of 
a Dyak house. As part of the journey to Siluas has to be taken by 
water from Pankalu Bobong, I was much disappointed on arriving 
there to find that the only boat which would hold my coolies 
and collections had left early that morning; a Malay trader here 
provec to be an old acquaintance of my Mandor and kindly ordered 
his son to try and hire one from a Dyak house a few miles 
distant; after waiting two hours I was only able to procure a 
small boat capable of holding four people, and as it was 
uncertain whether another would be procurable for some days, I 
decided to proceed in it, leaving my coolies to follow as soon as 
they could. 
A fair amount of Coffee is in cultivation here, doing well on the 
alluvial soil, the trees are healthy and full of berries. At dusk when 
nearing Siluas we overtook an old Dyak, whom I recognized as 
having worked for me at Bidi. At his suggestion I decided to stop 
the night at his house at Ire Lickie, which was convenient for 
starting the next day; this was a far more comfortable structure 
than is usual to find Dyaks living in-—it had three separate com- 
partments, the best of which was at once cleared for my use, while 
fresh eggs and rice were offered to me; as there were two other 
Dyaks beside my old coolie resident in the house I expected to 
obtain carriers easily the next morning, but on rising my hopes re- 
ceived a check as two of the men were prostrate, with high fever. 
This they told me was very prevalent in the neighbourhood of this 
river. After much persuasion I induced the remaining coolie to ac- 
company me to the next village which we reached after two hours 
walk. This house Teberau consists of one long building and although 
low, is commodious; the Dyaks are of a type strange to any I had 
before met; it was more marked in the women who are of short 
stature and decidedly pretty, in feature akin to Tamil women. 
Without exception each woman was wearing a small plaited straw 
cap about six inches in height, tapering slightly, decorated with 
highly coloured geometric designs; in casual appearance there was 
little difference between these caps and those worn by the © Bombay”’ 
shopkeepers at Colombo. The Dyaks were in rather an excited con- 
dition as a Patrol of Dutch police had spent the night here and 
were at this late hour about to make a start; they were conducting 
back a Malay prisoner who had escaped from Sambas to Sarawak ; 
here my coolie left me and it was only by promising the exorbitant 
sum of two dollars each that I could persuade two others to take 
his place as far as Bidi. 
R. A. Soc., No. 60, I9QII. 
