Life in the forests of the Far East (vol. 1 of 2) — John Shaqi
Life in the forests of the Far East (vol. 1 of 2)St. John, Spenser, Sir
History
Life in the forests of the Far East (vol. 1 of 2)
St. John, Spenser, Sir
Borneo -- Description and travel; Natural history -- Borneo; St. John, Spenser, Sir, 1825-1910 -- Travel -- Borneo
Habitat of the Sea Dayaks--Start for the Lundu--Inland
Passages--Fat Venison--The Lundu--Long Village
House--Chinese Gardens--Picturesque Waterfall--The Lundu
Dayaks--Their Village--Gradual Extinction of the Tribe--A
Squall--Childbirth--Girl Bitten by a Snake--Mr. Gomez--His
Tact--A Boa Seizes my Dog--Stories of Boa Constrictors--One
Caught in a Cage--Invasion of a Dining-room--Capture of
a large Boa--Boa and Wild Boar--Native Accounts--Madman
and Snake--Boas used as Rat Catchers--Floating Islands--A
Man Found on one--Their Origin--The Batang Lupar--The
Lingga--Alligators Dangerous--Method of Catching them--Their
Size--Hair Balls--Death of an Acquaintance--The Balau
Lads--The Orang-Utan--A large one killed--Banks of the
River--The Fort at Sakarang--The late Mr. Brereton--Sakarang
Head-hunting--Dayak Stratagem--Peace Ceremonies--Sacred
Jars--Farmhouse--Love of Imitation--_Illustrated London
News_--Women--Men--Poisoning--Workers in Gold and
Brass--Anecdote--Rambi Fruit--Pigs Swimming--The Bore--Hunting
Dogs--Wild Boar--Respect for Domestic Pig--Two kinds of
Deer--Snaring--Land and Sea Breezes--The Rejang--Lofty
Millanau House--Human Sacrifices--Swings--Innumerable
Mayflies--Kanowit Village--Kayan Mode of Attack--Kanowit
Dayaks--Men with Tails--Extraordinary Effect of Bathing
in the Nile--Treachery--Bier--Customs on the Death of a
Relative--Curious Dance--Ceremonies on Solemnizing Peace--Wild
Tribes--Deadly Effect of the Upas.
The Sea Dayaks are so called from their familiarity with the sea,
though many live as far inland as any of the other aborigines. They
inhabit the districts lying to the eastward of Sadong, and extend
along the coast to the great river of Rejang. They are the most
numerous and warlike of the Dayaks; and the most powerful of their
sections formerly indulged in the exciting pastime of piracy and
head-hunting. The next river to the east of Sadong is the Sibuyau,
whose inhabitants were scattered and had fled to the districts around
Sarawak.
The first village of these Sibuyaus, to whom we paid a long visit,
was situated on the Lundu, the most westerly river in the Sarawak
territories.
We started in March; and the north-east monsoon still blowing
occasionally, made it necessary to watch our time for venturing to sea,
as the waves would soon have swamped our long native prahu.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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