160 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES IN MALAYSIA AND ASIA, 



The Dusuns arc not, much burthcmd with clothing. What is 

 wanting in drapery is made up with brass rings, coins, and coils 

 of brass wire round the arms and legs. Nevertheless, they have 

 more clothes than the Dyaks, and they have a modesty and 

 reserve which would become a civilised people. They are not 

 head-hunters except in retaliation, and it is seldom that strings 

 of Murut heads are seen adorning their door-posts. The people 

 bade us welcome, and gave us, after supper, a musical entertain- 

 ment, in which u furious ami unearthly din was performed by the 

 whole strength of the company. After that there were war* 

 dances and sham-fights unpleasantly like realities, making us 

 almost wish to be on board the * Pegasus ' again. There was no 

 word about going to sleep that night. The war-dance terminated 

 about four in the morning, when the ladies gave a vocal perform- 

 ance, which was a very fair rendering of a 50-lb. steam whistle. 

 This lasted until it was time for us to go back to the boats, which 

 we reached after a most fatiguing journey. This was due to the 

 erratic proceedings of the buffaloes. They had taken an im- 

 placable dislike to their European riders, and continually 

 interrupted their journey by senseless chargings at each other, 

 which often unhorsed or unbuffaloed their burdens into the paddy 

 swamps. I was never in any part of Borneo where finer collec- 

 tions of Dyak and Dusun war and domestic implements can be 

 made. Some of the old Dyak warriors wear a coat of mail 

 which reminds one of the armour worn by the old crusaders. I 

 brought away many interesting specimens of swords, spears, and 

 sumpitan tubes, which were of the finest description. 



Kudat. — From Gaya we proceeded to Kudat on the most 

 northerly end of Borneo in Maruder Bay. Kudat is in the end 

 of the bay where it is fringed by a coral reef. At the time of our 

 visit there were half-a-dozen Europeans at the station which was 

 at one time the head quarters of the North Borneo Company. 

 The government bungalow is a large and more substantial building 

 than usual. Kudat, however, has little or no fresh water. The 

 rock is a carbonaceous sandstone with a steep dip inland. During 



