138 



A VISIT TO THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 



they arc in the position of ruleri? and protectoi-s to tlic* 



The Mnlmjan commimitj of Serete, however, nevor 

 BXGceded 1500 fighting men ; and their depredations 

 were, for some time, limited to the phiiuler of such vessels 

 as they could orercome with that force at sea. TJie 

 captured crews were on all occasions carried into slavery- 



The Btfaks of the Serehaa country comprise of them- 

 selves numerous commimitieB, numbering several thousand 

 warriora. While their warlike operations were confined 

 to the intortriba! feuds so common among savagea, their 

 weapons wore the spear and the sword, — formidable 

 enough in Dyjik hands : they adopted, however, other 

 arms, according as they became mixed up with the 

 operations of the Malays, in the matmer wliicli I shall 

 presently cxj>lain ; but thoy always were, and still are, a 

 distinct people. 



Such being the state of things in the Serebas couiitrsr, 

 the Dyaks, about eighty or even one hundi-ed years ago, 

 were gradually trained to piracy by the Malays, com- 

 mencing their apprenticeship as pullers in the Malayan 

 pmhus, ill which service tliey were rewarded with t!ie 

 heads of the slain (for which they had a peculiar taste), 

 and they i-eceifod also such captives as were useless to 

 the Malays for slavery. 



In the course of time these Dyaks became expert 

 eeamen ; they built a description of prahu, or bangkong, 

 peculiarly suited to their steal Lhy and rapid movements ; 



