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
The bladder was carefully cut out, and a man carried it off and threw it
away in order that the hunters should not be short of breath when walking.
The huge head, about fifty centimetres long, which was bearded and had a
large snout, was cut off with part of the neck and carried to one of the
camps, with a piece of the liver, which is considered the best part. I had
declined it, as the meat of the wild pig is very poor and to my taste
repulsive; this old male being also unusually tough, the soldiers
complained. The following morning I saw the head and jaws almost entirely
untouched, too tough even for the Penyahbongs.
Next day the river ran much narrower and between rocky sides. In the
forenoon the first prahu came upon an otter eating a huge fish which the
strong animal had dragged up on a rock, and of which the men immediately
took possession. It was cut up in bits and distributed among all of them,
the otter thus saving the expedition thirty-two rations of dried fish that
evening and next morning. To each side of the head was attached a powerful
long spine which stood straight out. The natives called the fish kendokat.
At one place where the water ran smoothly, one man from each prahu pulled
its rattan rope, the rest poling. I saw the Penyahbong who was dragging my
prahu suddenly catch sight of something under the big stones over which he
walked, and then he stopped to investigate. From my seat I perceived a
yellowish snake about one and a half metres long swimming under and among
the stones. A man from the prahu following ours came forward quickly and
began to chase it in a most determined manner. With his right hand he
caught hold of the tail and twisted it; then, as the body was underneath
the junction of two stones, with his left hand he tried to seize the head
which emerged on the other side. The snake was lively and bit at his hand
furiously, which he did not mind in the least. Others came to his
assistance and struck at its head with their paddles, but were unable to
accomplish their purpose as it was too well entrenched.
A splendid primitive picture of the savage in pursuit of his dinner, the
Penyahbong stood erect with his back toward me, holding the tail firmly.
After a few moments he bent down again trying in vain to get hold of its
neck, but not being able to pull the snake out he had to let the dainty
morsel go. Later we saw one swimming down the current, which the
Penyahbongs evidently also would have liked a trial at had we not already
passed the place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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