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 next one nearly turned over, and Mr. Demmini decided to take out the
kinema camera, which was got in readiness to film the picturesque scene.
In the meantime, in order to control the prahu from the side, a second
rattan rope had been tied to the following one, thereby enabling the men
to keep it from going too far out. This should have been done at the
start, but the Malays always like to take their chances. Though the
remaining prahus did not present such exciting spectacles, nevertheless
the scene was uncommonly picturesque. After nine hours of heavy work,
during most of which the men had kept running from stone to stone dragging
rattan cables, we camped on a sand-ridge that ran out as a peninsula into
the river. At one side was an inlet of calm, dark-coloured water into
which, a hundred metres away, a tributary emptied itself into a lovely
waterfall. A full moon rose over the enchanting landscape.
At half-past six in the morning we started for the next kiham, the
so-called Kiham Mudang, where we arrived an hour later. This was the most
impressive of all the rapids so far, the river flowing between narrow
confines in a steady down-grade course, which at first sight seemed
impossible of ascent. The river had fallen half a metre since the day
before, and although most kihams are easier to pass at low water, this one
was more difficult. The men, standing in water up to their arms, brought
all the luggage ashore and carried it further up the river. Next the
prahus were successfully pulled up, being kept as near land as possible
and tossed like toys on the angry waves, and pushed in and out of small
inlets between the big stones. In three hours we effected the passage and
in the afternoon arrived at Tumbang Djuloi, a rather prettily situated
kampong on a ridge along the river.
I was installed in a small house which was vacant at one end of the little
village, the greater part of which is Malay. There were two houses
belonging to Ot-Danums which I found locked with modern padlocks. Nearly
all Malays and Dayaks were at the ladangs, where they spend most of their
time, remaining over night. Coal, which is often found on the upper part
of the Barito River, may be observed in the bank of the river in a layer
two metres thick. It is of good quality, but at present cannot be utilised
on account of the formidable obstacle to transportation presented by the
kiham below.
Our Malays soon began to talk of returning, fifteen of the twenty-four men
wanting to go home. Payment having been refused until the goods left below
had been brought up, a settlement was reached and the necessary men, with
the sergeant, departed for Telok Djulo. In the meantime we began to convey
our belongings higher up the river, above the next kiham, where they were
stored in the jungle and covered with a tent cloth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account