Ran away from the Dutch : $b Or, Borneo from South to NorthPerelaer, M. T. H. (Michael Theophile Hubert)
History
Ran away from the Dutch : $b Or, Borneo from South to North
Perelaer, M. T. H. (Michael Theophile Hubert)
Dayak (Bornean people) -- Fiction
Johannes hereupon told him that Kalimantan was the name given by the
natives to Borneo, and that the European name, derived from the word
Broenai, simply indicates a small division of the island situated on
the north-western coast.
“Does the word Kalimantan mean anything at all?”
“Kalimantawa is the Dayak name of the dorian or jack-fruit of Borneo,
the shape of the island being similar to that of the fruit, which
probably led to the adoption of the name.”
“That is quite impossible,” Wienersdorf rejoined. “Borneo is one of the
largest islands of the world, and to define the shape of so large an
island one requires a certain amount of knowledge which no people of
the Indian Archipelago are likely to possess.”
Dalim hereupon bent over to Johannes and whispered something in his
ear.
“You may be right,” the latter observed. “Dalim has just suggested
Kalliintan, river of diamonds. That may be the true origin of the name,
as intan means diamond.”
In discourse of a similar nature time was materially shortened and our
travellers soon reached kotta Towanan. This was a Dayak fortification,
such as is frequently found all over the inner regions of Borneo. It
consisted of a long square redoubt without projections; its parapets
were made of strong wooden piles of vast size, and was ornamented here
and there with life-size wooden images representing Dayak warriors in
every possible attitude of war.
Approaching nearer, but still covered by the last projecting bank,
Dalim advised that the kotta should be reconnoitred in order to
ascertain that it was not occupied by river pirates and head-hunters. A
party accompanied by Schlickeisen and La Cueille landed and penetrated
into the wood. They soon returned, however, and reported that they had
found nothing of a suspicious nature.
At first they proposed to pass the night in the kotta and enjoy sleep
on terra firma again; but after Wienersdorf had made a careful survey,
he remarked that both in the front and rear of the fort there were
large apertures, which would require to be guarded. It would also be
necessary to keep strict watch over their canoe, which contained all
their riches. The efficient defence of these several positions would
certainly be too much for their small number of men, none of whom had
yet enjoyed a good night’s rest. They therefore resolved to remain in
their boat, and by setting one man to do duty as sentry enable the
others to enjoy undisturbed repose. Evening had closed in and the
Dayaks took the first watch, the Europeans arranging to succeed and
relieve them later in the night.
But man proposes and God disposes. Their rest was fated to be
disturbed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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