Through Central Borneo; an Account of Two Years' Travel in the Land of Head-Hunters Between the Years 1913 and 1917Lumholtz, Carl
History
Through Central Borneo; an Account of Two Years' Travel in the Land of Head-Hunters Between the Years 1913 and 1917
Lumholtz, Carl
Borneo -- Description and travel; Ethnology -- Borneo; Natural history -- Borneo
Early next morning the prahus were hauled up the rapids and then loaded,
after which the journey was continued through a smiling, slightly
mountainous country, with trees hanging over the river. We actually had a
course of smooth water, and before us, near the horizon, stretched two
long ridges with flat summits falling abruptly down at either side of the
river. At two o'clock in the afternoon we reached the foot of two big
kihams, and Bangsul considered it time to camp. It must be admitted that
the work was hard and progress necessarily slow. Nevertheless, it was so
early in the day that I suggested going a little further. Soon, however,
seeing the futility of trying to bring him to my way of thinking, I began
arrangements for making camp. Better to go slowly than not to travel at
all. Close to my tent, growing on low trees, were a great number of
beautiful yellow and white orchids.
Toward sunset, Bangsul surprised me by bringing all the men to my tent. He
said they wanted to go home because they were afraid I should expect too
much of them, as they all wanted to travel plan-plan (slowly). The
Penyahbongs before me were of a decent sort, and even the Malays were a
little more gentle and honest than usual. Bangsul was "the whole thing,"
and I felt myself equal to the situation. This was his first attempt at a
strike for higher wages and came unexpectedly soon, but was quickly
settled by my offer to raise the wages for the six most useful and
strongest men.
After our baggage had been stored above the head of the kihams, and the
prahus had been taken up to the same place, we followed overland. As we
broke camp two argus pheasants flew over the utan through the mist which
the sun was trying to disperse. We walked along the stony course of the
rapids, and when the jungle now and then allowed a peep at the roaring
waters it seemed incredible that the prahus had been hauled up along the
other side. Half an hour's walk brought us to the head of the kihams where
the men were loading the prahus that were lying peacefully in still
waters. The watchmen who had slept here pointed out a tree where about
twenty argus pheasants had roosted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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