304 TRAVELS IN THE EAST INDIAN ABCHIPELAgO. 



Heads. Wlien in full dress, however, this abundance 

 of hair is confiBed by a red handJserchief, obtained 

 from the natives on the coast, and ornamented with 

 parts of a small shell, the Nassa, in place of beads. 

 Their clothing is a strip of the inner bark of a 

 tree beaten with stones until it becomes white and 

 opaque, and appears much like white, rough paper. 

 This garment is three or four inches wide and about 

 three feet long. It passes round the waist and covers 

 the loins in Kuch a way that one end hangs down in 

 fix>nt as far as the knee. On the arm, above the 

 elbow, some wore a large ring, apparently made from 

 the stalk of a sea-fan, Gorgonia. To this were fastened 

 bunches of long, narrow green leaves, striped vrith 

 yellow. Similar ornaments were fastened to the el- 

 bows and to the strip of bark at the waist Each 

 of the warriors was armed with apm^ang or cleaver, 

 ^vhich he raised high in the light hand, while on his 

 left arm was a shield thi*ee or four feet long but only 

 foiu* or five inches wide, which he held before him as 

 if to wai'd off an imaginary blow. Their dance was 

 merely a series of short leaps forward and backward, 

 and occasionally whirling quickly round as if to de^ 

 fend themselves from a sudden attack in the rear. 

 Their only musical instrument was a rude tifa, which 

 was accompanied by a monotonous song from the 

 women, children, and old men. At first the time of 

 the music was slow, but by degrees it grew quicker 

 and louder, until all sang as fast and loud as they 

 could. The dancing warriors became more excited, 

 and flourished their cleavers and leaped to and fro 

 with all their might, until, aa one of our company 



