26 
NORTH BORNEO. 
Some of the Dusun houses are very large: one house I visited belonging to the head 
of the tribe, a lady, was over eighty yards long, but so dark and gloomy inside that it was 
difficult to see. We sat for a short time on some boxes in the centre of a curious crowd of 
Dusuns, the Resident explaining to our hostess that I had come to see her house and 
was visiting Borneo for the purpose of collecting birds ; this was entirely beyond their 
comprehension, as to their minds a bird without its flesh would be perfectly useless. The 
lady seemed very anxious to have one of the Company’s flags presented to her, which 
my friend promised. On our way home we came across a peculiar carved wooden figure 
which was placed as a landmark; we also noticed two or three curiously painted wooden 
tombs, like boxes. The Dusuns, as far as European ideas go, have no religion, though 
believing in a spiritual existence hereafter: most of their ghosts live on the top of Kina 
Balu; they fear evil spirits, and have many curious rites, to which I will refer later on 
after visiting that mountain. The next day we took a long walk, and on our way home 
visited a house in which a marriage was being celebrated. The house was a long one and 
crowded with natives, all dressed in their best—natives in Borneo, like ourselves, having 
a Sunday suit. They were all—women, men, and children—more or less intoxicated, and 
Avere very jolly. Drink often improves a Dusun—he loses his shyness and Avelcomes his 
friends most heartily. We Avere requested to join in the feast, and being hungry Ave did so ; 
but the meat—buffalo—AA 7 as far too tough, and a little went a long Avay toAvards satisfying 
our hunger. The liquor Avas, hoAvever, floAving like Avater ; it is called arrack, and is made 
by fermenting rice : this I did not care about either, it being evidently an acquired taste. 
Most of the men were clean healthy-looking felloAvs, with smooth good-tempered faces, and 
some were decidedly good-looking ; they Avere dressed in short loose trousers and jackets of 
dark blue cloth, then’ head-covering being a red or blue handkerchief tAvisted turban fashion; 
the unmarried men having long hair. The Avomen also Avear knickerbockers and a sort of Eton 
jacket, and round then Avaists are Avound innumerable coils of blackened rattan-cane, strung 
Avith metal rings and small brightly-polished cylinders of steel. Their coiffure is simple, 
being a knob of hair on the top of the head stuck through Avith a long pin either of brass or 
bone; some had many bracelets of brass Avire on then arms. Their best holiday hats are 
most curious, being like the roof of a small Chinese pagoda, beautifully plaited with 
coloured straAvs of red, yelloAv, and black ; at the extreme point of the. pagoda is a tuft of 
feathers. I think if I had to aAvard the apple of Paris to the beauties of Borneo, the 
Patatan ladies would stand the best chance of receiving it. Noav that I have described our 
company, I will proceed Avith the entertainment. This feast had already—-Avhen Ave 
arrived—been going on for about forty-six hours, and would probably continue another 
eighteen, making a three days’ ball. The great enjoyment after drinking seems to be 
dancing on these occasions. The dancers consist of three persons—tAvo Avomen, one at each 
end of the long house, and a man, who seems to do much as he likes. The Avomen have 
little to do, merely posturing, holding out their arms at full length and sloAA T ly turning their 
hands up and doAvn; their feet are slowly moved Avithout changing their place on the floor 
during the Avhole dance. The man, hoAvever, careers up and doAvn the house Avith a huge 
grass appendage tied to his back Avith bits of jingling metal and horn fastened to it; Avith 
bounds accompanied by fiendish yells like a roaring maniac, he remains dancing a sort 
