66 
NORTH BORNEO. 
Dyaks were busy repairing their vessel, in which later on they proceeded on their journey 
to Sarawak. Amongst the cargo were numbers of a large cone (Conus suratensis ); the 
larger end of the shell is sawn otf and fashioned into bracelets, which are much valued by 
the native women. Several Parrots (Tanygnathus luzoniensis ) were perched about the boat 
looking rather miserable. From these natives I purchased an “ Elang ” or Dyak sword. 
The blade is slightly convex on one side and studded thickly with brass studs; the haft is of 
carved deer’s horn, ornamented with tufts of human hair. The sheath is beautifully carved 
and ornamented with tufts of red, white, and black hair, and contains a long-handled small- 
bladed knife. These Dyaks were a fine clean-skinned lot of natives, their chests being 
much tattooed. 
ELANG. 
Whilst in Abai a small fleet of Sulu outriggers anived, or “ dapongs ” as these boats 
are called ; they came in for shelter from the fierce wind and remained some days. These 
boats are somewhat like the Ceylon catamarans, but have two outriggers; they carry a 
huge nearly square sail, which is attached to the top of a tripod mast, and are very fast, but, 
I should imagine, very wet, all the baggage being placed on light high-railed platforms 
astern; each boat carries two men only. The Sulus, some twenty in number, were a great 
nuisance ; they used to come into the house and beg for everything they set eyes on, and no 
doubt would have stolen anything they fancied if we had not been continually on the look 
out; it was a great relief to us when one fine morning they sailed away. Sometimes the 
Panglima, or admiral, would sit for hours looking on while I was sketching ; and one day I 
provided him with a sheet of paper on which he drew a very fair outline of one of his 
dapongs, under full sail. The Panglima told me that he came from Tawi Tawi (some 
islands of the Sulu group), and that his father was a famous pirate and was killed some 
years previously by the Spaniards. His father’s skin was so hard that it was bullet-proof, and 
if a brass cannon was fired off close to his chest he would be blown away some yards unhurt. 
The present Panglima was driven away, and had settled in Mulliangin, and I should 
fancy is as big a pirate as his father was when opportunities offer, and a nasty gentleman to 
