268 
am BINUA OF JOHOB£ 9 
pliere which surrounds him elsewhere, were exchanged for a pare 
and elastic one, in which he can once more breathe freely. The 
simplicity and openness of their minds, combined with their freedom 
from vanity, levity, and any overweening pride, communicate a tone 
of sense to their conversation. In their personal habits, the Binua 
are as cleanly as the Malays. Their paucity of dress even gives them 
an advantage in this respect over the Malay. They scrupulously 
wash and clean every article of food before cooking it, and reject 
meat that is at all tainted. The ground below the hut, as with the 
Malays, is made the receptable of all the vegetable debris of their 
cookery and repasts, but it is free from the noisome smell which 
surrounds the dwellings of the J&kuns. The dogs live in the hut 
but are cleanly and receive their share of wholesome food. In 
noticing the personal appearance of the Binua it was said that the 
sensual predominated over the intellectual in the expression of their 
countenances. In their manners they are perfectly modest while fa¬ 
miliar and open, and although both sexes at all ages freely associate, I 
did not observe anything that could have led to the supposition that 
there was not the strictest reserve amongst the unmarried, and fideli¬ 
ty amongst the married. My enquiries however satisfied me that 
while in general the women are faithful, adultery is neither unfre- 
quent nor held in sufficient detestation. The Malays assert that it is 
not difficult to obtain the favour of a Binua woman, and the Binuas 
themselves admit that husbands sometimes change their wives and 
wives their husbands. Divorce is simply a putting away of the wife. 
ffoo/ Amongst the Minting* is a capital crime if it can be proved by wit¬ 
nesses. The sentence of the Batin is carried into execution by the 
Panghma. The offenders are laid prostrate in the nearest stream, 
and their heads are kept under the water by placing a forked stick 
over their necks and driving the points into the bed. When the hus¬ 
band is satisfied of the wife’s infidelity but cannot prove it he may 
desert her, but lie must leave her in possession of the house and la- 
dang and give her ten histas (5 yards) of white cloth, 30 cents and 
8 silver rings.* The children remain with the wife. She cannot re¬ 
marry until the husband takes another wife. 
To this imperfect sketch of the character of the Binua it should 
be added that although less sensitive in their feelings than the Ber- 
mun tribes, whose pride takes offence at the least appearance of a 
slight, or assumption of control, they would probably shew themselves 
reserved, unsocial, and even sullen, if they were not treated with 
* A Dyak may put away his wife on paying her 20 to 30 dollars (Leyden,} 
