CHAPTER VI. BORNEO—THE DYAKS.
THE manners and customs of the aborigines of Borneo have been described in
great detail, and with much fuller information than I possess, in the writings of
Sir James Brooke, Messrs. Low, St. John, Johnson Brooke, and many others. I
do not propose to go over the ground again, but shall confine myself to a sketch,
from personal observation, of the general character of the Dyaks, and of such
physical, moral, and social characteristics as have been less frequently noticed.
The Dyak is closely allied to the Malay, and more remotely to the Siamese,
Chinese, and other Mongol races. All these are characterised by a reddish-brown
or yellowish-brown skin of various shades, by jet-black straight hair, by the
scanty or deficient beard, by the rather small and broad nose, and high
cheekbones; but none of the Malayan races have the oblique eyes which are
characteristic of the more typical Mongols. The average stature of the Dyaks is
rather more than that of the Malays, while it is considerably under that of most
Europeans. Their forms are well proportioned, their feet and hands small, and
they rarely or never attain the bulk of body so often seen in Malays and Chinese.
I am inclined to rank the Dyaks above the Malays in mental capacity, while in
moral character they are undoubtedly superior to them. They are simple and
honest, and become the prey of the Malay and Chinese traiders, who cheat and
plunder them continually. They are more lively, more talkative, less secretive,
and less suspicious than the Malay, and are therefore pleasanter companions.
The Malay boys have little inclination for active sports and games, which form
quite a feature in the life of the Dyak youths, who, besides outdoor games of
skill and strength, possess a variety of indoor amusements. One wet day, in a
Dyak house, when a number of boys and young men were about me, I thought to
amuse them with something new, and showed them how to make "cat's cradle"
with a piece of string. Greatly to my surprise, they knew all about it, and more
than I did; for, after Charles and I had gone through all the changes we could
make, one of the boys took it off my hand, and made several new figures which
quite puzzled me. They then showed me a number of other tricks with pieces of
string, which seemed a favourite amusement with them.
Even these apparently trifling matters may assist us to form a truer estimate of
the Dyaks' character and social condition. We learn thereby, that these people