第30章

After the "bitchara "was over and the old chiefs gone， I asked the young men to play or dance， or amuse themselves in their accustomed way； and after some little hesitation they agreed to do so. They first had a trial of strength， two boys sitting opposite each other， foot being placed against foot， and a stout stick grasped by both their hands. Each then tried to throw himself back， so as to raise his adversary up from the ground， either by main strength or by a sudden effort. Then one of the men would try his strength against two or three of the boys； and afterwards they each grasped their own ankle with a hand， and while one stood as firm as he could， the other swung himself around on one leg， so as to strike the other's free leg， and try to overthrow him. When these games had been played all around with varying success， we had a novel kind of concert. Some placed a leg across the knee， and struck the fingers sharply on the ankle， others beat their arms against their sides like a cock when he is going to crow， this making a great variety of clapping sounds， while another with his hand under his armpit produced a deep trumpet note； and， as they all kept time very well， the effect was by no means unpleasing. This seemed quite a favourite amusement with them， and they kept it up with much spirit.

The next morning we started in a boat about thirty feet long， and only twenty-eight inches wide. The stream here suddenly changes its character. Hitherto， though swift， it had been deep and smooth， and confined by steep banks. Now it rushed and rippled over a pebbly， sandy， or rocky bed， occasionally forming miniature cascades and rapids， and throwing up on one side or the other broad banks of finely coloured pebbles. No paddling could make way here， but the Dyaks with bamboo poles propelled us along with great dexterity and swiftness， never losing their balance in such a narrow and unsteady vessel， though standing up and exerting all their force. It was a brilliant day， and the cheerful exertions of the men， the rushing of the sparkling waters， with the bright and varied foliage， which from either bank stretched over our heads， produced an exhilarating sensation which recalled my canoe voyages on the grander waters of South America.

Early in the afternoon we reached the village of Borotói， and， though it would have been easy to reach the next one before night， I was obliged to stay， as my men wanted to return and others could not possibly go on with me without the preliminary talking. Besides， a white man was too great a rarity to be allowed to escape them， and their wives would never have forgiven them if， when they returned from the fields， they found that such a curiosity had not been kept for them to see. On entering the house to which I was invited， a crowd of sixty or seventy men， women， and children gathered around me， and I sat for half an hour like some strange animal submitted for the first time to the gaze of an inquiring public. Brass rings were here in the greatest profusion， many of the women having their arms completely covered with them， as well as their legs from the ankle to the knee.

Round the waist they wear a dozen or more coils of fine rattan stained red， to which the petticoat is attached. Below this are generally a number of coils of brass wire， a girdle of small silver coins， and sometimes a broad belt of brass ring armour. On their heads they wear a conical hat without a crown， formed of variously coloured beads， kept in shape by rings of rattan， and forming a fantastic but not unpicturesque headdress.

Walking out to a small hill near the village， cultivated as a rice-field， I had a fine view of the country， which was becoming quite hilly， and towards the south， mountainous. I took bearings and sketches of all that was visible， an operation which caused much astonishment to the Dyaks who accompanied me， and produced a request to exhibit the compass when I returned. I was then surrounded by a larger crowd than before， and when I took my evening meal in the midst of a circle of about a hundred spectators anxiously observing every movement and criticising every mouthful， my thoughts involuntarily recurred to the lion at feeding time. Like those noble animals， I too was used to it， and it did not affect my appetite. The children here were more shy than at Tabokan， and I could not persuade them to play. Itherefore turned showman myself， and exhibited the shadow of a dog's head eating， which pleased them so much that all the village in succession came out to see it. The "rabbit on the wall" does not do in Borneo， as there is no animal it resembles.

The boys had tops shaped something like whipping-tops， but spun with a string.