60 Malaysia. 



children of nature are alrcady beginning to 

 bc attractcd by the rcsident missionary. Thc 

 Dyak is not as shy and dinicult of approach 

 as he has bcen. They livc in largc fami!y 

 groups under chiefs ; cach group builds a 

 long, narrow house raised high abovc thc 

 land on posts ; against the house leans a 

 dead tree notched to permit the bare-footed 

 inhabitants to casily run up and down. Thc 

 house is suh-divided into smallcr rooms 

 with an enclosed veranda running in front 

 of all of them. Oii this veranda, opposite 

 each doorway, is the fire-place, whcrc cach 

 famiLy's meals are cooked. Above the fire- 

 place hangs a cradle of knotted rope, and 

 in this net are held the heads of men taken 

 off the shouldcrs of his enemics by the man 

 who inhabits the room whh his family, 

 These heads are continually being smoked 

 over the fire, and present a very gruesome 

 sight to any one who, for tlie first time, ex- 

 amines theim These bundles of heads 

 grow sometimes up towards one hundred, 

 and amongst them may bc found those of 

 little children and women. Indecd, thc 

 Dyak thcory is that a child*s head betokens 

 a high order of courage on the part of the 



