348 
CKESPIGNY’S NOTES ON BORNEO. 
[June 14 , 1858 . 
I could see no similarity of features between tliis race and the 
Chinese, except that in childhood the upper eyelid is turned in, so 
that the eyelashes appear to protrude from the eye itself. There is 
also a peculiar feature which assimilates them to the negroes of 
Africa, viz. the protuberance of the shin-bone, which in children 
is slightly arched outwards — a peculiarity which, with the first 
mentioned one, disappears with years, for the limbs of the young 
men are as well proportioned as a Spaniard’s or an Irishman’s. 
Theffaboo is also practised among them. The cases which came 
under my observation were, that of a house in which lay a dead 
body ; and another whose inmates had had a great sowing of padi. 
Doubtless there are other causes of taboo, of which I am at present 
ignorant. These people do not preserve the heads of their enemies, 
and the only parties among them who tattoo are those who have killed 
an enemy. The tattoo is invariably a broad band from the navel up to 
each shoulder, where it ends abruptly. A smaller band is carried 
down each arm, and a stripe drawn transversely across it for each 
enemy slain. I am happy to say I saw but few men tattooed, but 
one young fellow had no less than 37 stripes across his arms. Upon 
my inquiring as to where he had been so fortunate, he pointed 
towards the river Labuk. There appears to be no particular dis- 
ease prevalent among these people. Very few were affected with 
skin disease ; no appearance of smallpox, and, although the Malays 
of Bongan were nearly all suffering from weak and inflamed eyes, 
I did not observe one instance of this distressing affliction among 
the Dusuns. A few cases of consumption came under my notice 
both among the Malays and Dusuns. With regard to their numbers, 
if the whole district is as thinly peopled as the parts. I visited, 
there cannot be more than 12,000 in the whole tribe or nation. 
How it is that, with a well watered country, a healthy climate, 
peaceful occupations, and a perfect independence — for their free- 
dom, unlike that of the Dyaks of the south, is not at all affected 
by the proximity of the Malays — they have not increased and 
multiplied to a greater extent, I am at a loss to conceive. 
The language spoken by the Malays of Maludu Bay differs a little 
from that spoken at Bruni, many words being borrowed from the 
Sulu — such as timus for garam, salt ; piasan for kalapa, cocoa-nut ; 
and others— while the pronunciation differs in these respects, 
that the sound ch is always pronounced s — as in kuching, a cat, 
which becomes pusing. Here, also, the Orang-utan (which is very 
common) is known by the name so familiar to English ears : the 
word “ meias,” given by Sir J. Brooke as the name of this ape in 
the languages of the Durgahis of the north-western coast, is not 
