72 
NORTH BORNEO. 
war-path for months at a time; but so cowardly are these people that even so large a party 
would not dare openly to attack their enemies, if only half as numerous. Their omens are 
so numerous that when out in the forests most of the time is fooled away obeying them. 
The meeting of the omen bird would send back an expedition for days until a propitious 
omen declared the forward march advisable. As their omen birds and reptiles are 
generally common species, such as the small Kingfisher ( Ceyx tridactyla ), the delays caused 
by meeting them flying from the wrong direction must be almost of daily occurrence, and 
from the estimate I have formed of Murut bravery I should be much inclined to believe 
them more Avilling to retreat than to advance. Just now, at the time of my visit, there is a 
party of nearly two hundred Murats on such an expedition: they have been away nearly 
two months, but their return is daily expected. The tactics of such an expedition is, if 
possible, to sneak up to a detached house in the early morning, just before daylight, and to 
set fire to it, killing the people as they rash out, or capturing the young women and children 
for slaves. 
I never was witness to a head feast, so am unable to give an idea of such a festival; 
but I believe rice “arrack” flows freely down the throat of the Murut brave, and that 
the head is carried round on a cloth by the women. A Murut told me that they also 
cut off the first joints of the limbs, which they bring back with the head ; these, he said, 
they amused themselves with by throwing at their women on such occasions : I should quite 
imagine Murut brutality equal even to this. In the house I noticed a few bark jackets, or 
“ biangs ” as they are called, one or two brass guns, many “ sumpitans ” or blow-pipes 
(Murut “ oput ”), a few long swords, Tower muskets, and fowling-pieces. The Murut never 
cleans his fire-arms, leaving them over the fire-places, where they become thickly coated 
with smoke. One Murut used the entire skin of a large red monkey as a satchel, the legs 
being tied round his waist and over his shoulders, the long tail hung down behind; and as 
this novel bag was stuffed with Murut property, it looked like a live animal clinging to the 
man’s back. 
Underneath the house were numbers of small black pigs, which greatly disgusted my 
Mohammedan followers. In front of the chief entrance was a peculiar structure erected of 
bamboo poles, festooned with bunches of dried palm-leaves. This had been erected, my 
Kadyans assured me, at the last head feast; so the latest addition to Si’Lalang’s museum 
could only have been of recent date. 
Next morning we were visited by twelve Murats: they did not beg for any of my 
property, which was a blessing, some tribes, especially Sulus, being a great source of trouble, 
wanting everything. In comparison to the Kadyans and Bruneis the Muruts were taller 
and more powerfully built. After I had showed them most of my belongings they re the d. 
The articles that took their fancy most were the walking-stick guns which I use for bird¬ 
collecting. These they thought would be splendid Aveapons for “ tipu,” i. e. treacherously 
killing a man; as they explained, you might sit opposite a man and shoot him without him 
knowing you had a gun. This is about the real idea of Murut bravery—“ tipu.” They 
Avere also interested in my fork, and seemed to think it almost impossible for anyone to put 
food into his mouth without hurting himself, as they explained it to each other by 
pretending to stab their cheeks and nose. 
