Ten Years in Saráwak, Volume 2Tinsley Brothers, 1866 - Dayak (Bornean people) |
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Common terms and phrases
a-head Abang Achang afternoon anchored Antus Apai arrived attack Bakatans Balang bank Bintulu boat's crew boats Borneo bring brought Brunei carried chiefs Chinamen coast custom dangerous death deer Dyaks enemy enemy's Europeans expedition farming feel feet felt fire Fitz followed force Government head head-hunting hills hour hundred inhabitants jungle Kaluka Kanowit Kapuas Katibus Kayans killed labour land late latter Lingga living look Malay Mathusein ment miles morning mouth Mukah Nanang natives never night padi Pangeran party passed pinnace population proceeded pulled purpose pushed quiet race Rajah rapid rattan reached Rejang Rejang river Rentap rice river rocks ropes round Sadok Sakarang sampan Sarawak Saribus Sarikei scarcely Seriff Massahore shot side slaves soon steamer steep stockade stream sword taken thought tion to-day told trade tribes Tuan Undup village walking Watson
Popular passages
Page 101 - Mukah, and other places in the vicinity, that the wives close their doors and will not receive their husbands unless they procure fish ; and this may be an incitement to undergo such dangers. The women work hard themselves, and make the sagu, which is a remarkably dry condiment without the accompaniment of fish ; hence their desire for husbands, plus fish — and the refusal to admit them without that article.
Page 46 - There is no God but one God, and Mahomet is his prophet ! — I desire to embrace the true religion !" The other infidel repeated the same words.
Page 336 - To offer one instance of the multiplying process, I will mention the upper Batang Lupar river, which has now a population of eighteen or twenty thousand souls residing on it, and has emitted a supply, about fifty years ago, to a neighbouring stream (a tributary of Rejang), from which a population has now increased to from ten to twelve thousand souls, without the aid of any intermixture from other directions.
Page 243 - sixty-six feet long, shaped like a coffin, and totally devoid of all elegance or beauty. She consisted of a single tree hollowed out, and round at the bottom, but raised a little at her extremities. Many trees split while undergoing the twisting, and the wood requires to be peculiarly tough to stand the hacking in the centre. When the hollowing out is done, a bow and stern-piece are fastened with rattans : they have not a nail in them ; two light planks are also tied on to the top, and then they...
Page 282 - Europe." (Mundy i. 254.)" Another jar is thus described by Sir Chas. Brooke: " One very valuable jar, named Gusi, was brought, a common-looking article, small, and one that would certainly have been trampled on by strangers, but it is supposed to possess mysterious qualities — one of them being, that if anything be placed in it over night, the quantity will increase before morning ; even water will be found several inches deeper. It is wrapped in cloth, and treated with every mark of respect. People...
Page 336 - On the subject of marrying in and in, it is to be observed that Dyak customs prohibit any near consanguineous nuptials, and they are more particular in this respect than Europeans. They consider first cousins in the light of brothers and sisters, and a further removal only entitles a customary marriage. Nieces are not allowed to marry their uncles, nor nephews their aunts. They are particular in these points, and the person who disregards them is harshly reproached and heavily mulcted.
Page 308 - Our population requires an experienced commander; but when once the relations of one party with another are properly understood, it is a singularly easy government to carry on, — tribes, one with another, being so well balanced, that in the event of danger arising from any one party, the other may be trusted to counteract evil influences, and act as a balancing medium in the scale.
Page 227 - A man then takes the loop up the steps, places his foot in it, and swings off from the top of the ladder, holding by his hands to the rattan. On its returning, another man jumps from the ladder on the swing, sometimes two at a time; and this goes on time after time, until there are as many as ten or twelve swinging together, clinging on by each other's arms or legs. While in this position they strike up a monotonous dirge, beseeching the spirits for a plentiful harvest of sagu and fruit, and a successful...
Page 125 - Dyaks immediately off sword and dived down, as poor Limin thought, to clear it, but instead of doing so the wily rascal twisted it firmly round and round, came up to take breath, and then again dived, and again twisted it in divers ways round the stumps ; he then rose, and said he could not clear it, but asked Limin to try. Limin unsuspectingly took off his sword, dived, and on approaching the surface breathless, the two Dyaks struck and decapitated him without a sound.
Page 332 - urge that they have exposed them' selves to the sun for years, and have " never felt any evil effects, it is only " saying that the losing battle between " the sun and their constitution is not