第29章

As the wet season was approaching， I determined to return to Sarawak， sending all my collections with Charles Allen around by sea， while I myself proposed to go up to the sources of the Sadong River and descend by the Sarawak valley. As the route was somewhat difficult， I took the smallest quantity of baggage， and only one servant， a Malay lad named Bujon， who knew the language of the Sadong Dyaks， with whom he had traded. We left the mines on the 27th of November， and the next day reached the Malay village of Gúdong， where I stayed a short time to buy fruit and eggs， and called upon the Datu Bandar， or Malay governor of the place. He lived in a large， arid well-built house， very dirty outside and in， and was very inquisitive about my business， and particularly about the coal-mines. These puzzle the natives exceedingly， as they cannot understand the extensive and costly preparations for working coal， and cannot believe it is to be used only as fuel when wood is so abundant and so easily obtained. It was evident that Europeans seldom came here， for numbers of women skeltered away as I walked through the village and one girl about ten or twelve years old， who had just brought a bamboo full of water from the river， threw it down with a cry of horror and alarm the moment she caught sight of me， turned around and jumped into the stream. She swam beautifully， and kept looking back as if expecting I would follow her， screaming violently all the time； while a number of men and boys were laughing at her ignorant terror.

At Jahi， the next village， the stream became so swift in consequence of a flood， that my heavy boat could make no way， and I was obliged to send it back and go on in a very small open one.

So far the river had been very monotonous， the banks being cultivated as rice-fields， and little thatched huts alone breaking the unpicturesque line of muddy bank crowned with tall grasses， and backed by the top of the forest behind the cultivated ground. A few hours beyond Jahi we passed the limits of cultivation， and had the beautiful virgin forest coming down to the water's edge， with its palms and creepers， its noble trees， its ferns， and epiphytes. The banks of the river were， however， still generally flooded， and we had some difficulty in finding a dry spot to sleep on. Early in the morning we reached Empugnan， a small Malay village， situated at the foot of an isolated mountain which had been visible from the mouth of the Simunjon River. Beyond here the tides are not felt， and we now entered upon a district of elevated forest， with a finer vegetation. Large trees stretch out their arms across the stream， and the steep， earthy banks are clothed with ferns and zingiberaceous plants.

Early in the afternoon we arrived at Tabókan， the first village of the Hill Dyaks. On an open space near the river， about twenty boys were playing at a game something like what we call "prisoner's base；" their ornaments of beads and brass wire and their gay-coloured kerchiefs and waist-cloths showing to much advantage， and forming a very pleasing sight. On being called by Bujon， they immediately left their game to carry my things up to the "headhouse，"--a circular building attached to most Dyak villages， and serving as a lodging for strangers， the place for trade， the sleeping-room of the unmarried youths， and the general council-chamber. It is elevated on lofty posts， has a large fireplace in the middle and windows in the roof all round， and forms a very pleasant and comfortable abode. In the evening it was crowded with young men and boys， who came to look at me. They were mostly fine young fellows， and I could not help admiring the simplicity and elegance of their costume. Their only dress is the long "chawat，" or waist-cloth， which hangs down before and behind. It is generally of blue cotton， ending in three broad bands of red， blue， and white. Those who can afford it wear a handkerchief on the head， which is either red， with a narrow border of gold lace， or of three colours， like the "chawat." The large flat moon-shaped brass earrings， the heavy necklace of white or black beads， rows of brass rings on the arms and legs， and armlets of white shell， all serve to relieve and set off the pure reddish brown skin and jet-black hair. Add to this the little pouch containing materials for betel-chewing， and a long slender knife， both invariably worn at the side， and you have the everyday dress of the young Dyak gentleman.

The "Orang Kaya，" or rich man， as the chief of the tribe is called， now came in with several of the older men； and the "bitchara" or talk commenced， about getting a boat and men to take me on the next morning. As I could not understand a word of their language， which is very different from Malay， I took no part in the proceedings， but was represented by my boy Bujon， who translated to me most of what was said. A Chinese trader was in the house， and he， too， wanted men the next day； but on his hinting this to the Orang Kaya， he was sternly told that a white man's business was now being discussed， and he must wait another day before his could be thought about.