These craft did not go to sea. The naval3 battles were fought on rivers and lakes; for the boats were not adapted to heavy weather, and could not have lived even in a moderate gale4. They were propelled entirely by oars5, single banked, and twenty-four rowers were all that could work. The largest of them had a platform or elevated deck, under which the oarsmen sat, and on which the warriors6 engaged the enemy.
Some sort of strategy was used; for the small boats were sent ahead sometimes to skirmish with the foe7, and lure8 their canoes to a point where the larger craft were concealed9, which then came out and fell upon the enemy. If the craft were used for purposes[78] of piracy10, as they were in the northern part of the island, in attacking foreign vessels11, it could only be when the strangers were caught within a short distance of the shores.
Mr. Eng came on board of the yacht when his sampans were taken in tow, and was seated with the cabin party on the forward seats. He spoke12 English perfectly13, and explained everything that needed it as the boat proceeded. The explorers had seen Dyaks enough, but had not before taken the trouble to study them; for they seemed not to be in touch with the civilization of Sarawak, and were "hewers of wood and drawers of water," and not proper specimens14 of the race.
"The men here, Mr. Eng, do not appear to be very powerful physically," said Louis, as they passed several laborers15 at work in a paddy.
"They are not as strong as Englishmen and Americans," replied the agent, glancing at the seamen16 in the waist. "The tallest man I have seen among the Sea Dyaks was not more than five and a half feet in height. Five feet three inches is a more common figure, though the average is less than that. They are not men of great strength; but they are active, of great endurance, and in running they exhibit great speed."
"These people are not ruined by their tailors' bills," said Scott.
"They do not need much clothing in this climate; and a piece of bark-cloth a yard wide is full dress[79] here. The chawat, as they call this garment, is about five feet long, and is wound around the waist tightly, and drawn17 between the legs, one end hanging down in front, and the other behind. They wear a sort of turban on the head; and some of them have as many as four rings, large and small, hanging from their ears, through which they pass. Some of them use white cotton instead of bark-cloth, like the Hindoos in India."
The yacht was now approaching the landing-place pointed18 out by the agent. A crowd of women and children were hurrying to the riverside. They appeared to be lighter19 in complexion20 than the men. As a rule they were not handsome, though a few of them were rather pretty. The American visitors were not likely to fall in love with any of the young women on the shore. They were all in "full dress," which means simply a petticoat, reaching from the waist to the knees, made of bark-cloth embroidered21 with various figures.
A few of the females wore a sort of red jacket and the conical Malay hat; but those are used only on "state occasions." The single garment was secured at the waist by being drawn into a belt of rattans, colored black. Above this was worn a coil of many rings of large brass23 wire; and all of them seemed to be provided with this appendage24. There was some variety in the use of this ornament25; for some wore it tightly wound around the body, while others had it quite loose.[80]
In addition to this some of the young girls had a dozen rings of various sizes hanging loosely around their necks, and falling upon the chest, which had no other covering. Their eyes were black, as was also their hair, which was very luxuriant, and generally well cared for, being tied up in a cue behind.
The village did not consist of a great number of small buildings, but from the landing-place could be seen the end of an immense structure with a forest of palms behind it. The rear of it was not perpendicular26, but slanted27 outward, like many of the walls of corn-houses in New England, doubtless to keep the rain from the roof from penetrating28. All the party, including the sailors, landed; for Mr. Eng declared that the Dyaks were honest, and even in Sarawak were never known to steal anything, though the Malays and Chinamen were given to pilfering29.
The crowd of men, women, and children gathered on the shore had looked the Blanchita over with the closest attention while the Americans were looking them over. The party landed under the escort of the agent, and took up the line of march for the big house. The entire crowd of Dyaks followed them, though they did not intrude30 upon them; on the contrary, they treated all of the visitors with a respect and deference31 bordering on homage32.
"That 'long-house,' as we call it here, is nearly two hundred feet in length," said Mr. Eng. "It is thirty feet wide. Now you can see more of it; and you notice that it is set upon a multitude of posts,[81] like all Malay and Dyak houses. These posts are firmly set in the ground; and being about six inches in diameter, you can readily see that the house rests on a solid foundation. It is not likely to be blown down in any ordinary gale, though a hurricane might sweep it away. Not a nail, not a wooden pin or peg33, is used in the construction of such buildings."
"Then, I should think any ordinary gale would level them to the ground," suggested Louis.
"But the Dyaks have a substitute for nails or pins," replied the guide. "All the poles and sticks and boards are tightly bound together with rattans; and I believe they hold together better than if they were nailed."
"I observed in England and France that the stagings used in the erection of buildings were made partly of round poles, tied together with ropes. I talked with a man who told me they were stronger than if put together with nails," said Morris.
"I think he was right. I can't tell you how the Malays and Dyaks manage the rattan22 to render it so flexible, but it seems to me they make better work than ropes. On the back of this house, there is not a single window or other opening," continued Mr. Eng, as the party stood at the end of the structure, near the rear corner. "The disagreeable feature of the building, or rather of the habits of the occupants, is that the space under it, ten feet between the ground and the floor, is a catch-all for all refuse matter, and you notice that an unpleasant odor comes from it."[82]
"Is this the only entrance to it?" asked Scott, pointing to a door, which was reached by a log notched34 like a flight of stairs.
"There is a door at the other end also; and there may be ways of mounting the platform, or veranda35, which forms the front of the building, as climbing a post, or dropping from a tree. Some of the posts, of which you see a multitude under the house, are cut off at the first floor, while many of them reach up to the roof, and support it. We will go in now, if you like; and, being sailors, I suppose you can climb the log."
"No doubt of that," replied Scott, who was the first to ascend36. "Are all that crowd coming up?"
"Certainly; they are the occupants of the long-house, and they must be at home in order to do the honors of the occasion," laughed the guide.
The villagers followed the party, and immediately manifested their politeness in various ways. The prettiest girl in the crowd spoke to Louis; though he did not understand a word she said, but replied to her in English, when she was as much at sea as he had been.
"What does she say, Achang?" he asked of the Bornean.
"Tabet, tuan," replied the native.
"I heard her say that; but what does it mean?"
"It means, 'Good-day, sir,'" answered the Bornean; and he proceeded to tell her that Louis was the "head man," very rich, and owned a big ship.[83]
She made a very graceful37 obeisance38 to him, and then rushed away through a door on the side of the grand hall, as it may well be called. But she returned immediately, bringing a very elaborately worked mat, which she spread on the floor at the feet of the "head man." Then she spread out her hands, and bowed low, saying something which was Greek to him.
"She invites you to take a seat on the mat," Achang explained.
As a matter of politeness Louis seated himself, and looked at the maiden39 who treated him with so much consideration. By this time the other women were bringing mats for the rest of the party, making no distinction between the seamen and the cabin party. The latter followed the example of the young millionaire, and seated themselves. The foremast hands declined the proffered40 courtesy; and Achang explained to the ladies that only the four young men who were seated were the magnates of the company, while the others were inferior personages, for the Bornean was not strictly41 democratic in his ideas.
"We will look at the house now, if you please," said Mr. Eng, after the "Big Four" had been seated a few minutes; and all of them rose to their feet, bowing low to the young ladies who had treated them with so much distinction.
About forty or fifty of the posts extended from the ground, for the visitors had not time to count them; and most of them had suspended upon them various trophies42 of the hunt, including the antlers[84] of deer, crocodiles' heads, weapons, paddles, and spears. In the middle of the long hall a fire was burning on a foundation of soil, enclosed by a border of wood. In the roof was a sort of scuttle43, which was fastened open to admit the air, and to allow some of the smoke to escape, though there was plenty of it remaining in the apartment.
"What is that overhead, Mr. Eng?" asked Louis, pointing to a black mass suspended near the fire, though he had a suspicion of its nature.
"That is a collection of human skulls44, relics45 of the days of head-hunting; for they are generally kept in a building erected46 for the purpose, though appropriated at the present time partly to other uses. There are about twenty of them, which is not a large number for a village like this. Not one of them is less than twenty years old; for Rajah Brooke put an end to head-hunting long ago, though some of it has been done in spite of his edicts. A lady beckons47 to you, Mr. Belgrave."
The pretty girl—by comparison—stood by his side, pointing to one of the numerous doors at the closed side of the house. Louis followed her, and she conducted him into a room. A portion of the floor was covered with mats on which the occupants sleep, with an earth section for a fire. There was no furniture of any kind. The roof of the building was covered with square pieces of palm like those used on the sampans, and these could be raised in each room when necessary for air.[85]
"This apartment is occupied by one family, or by a married couple, and unmarried men and boys sleep in the attic48 overhead," said Mr. Eng. "It has but one door, the one opening into the main hall. This is a house of sixteen doors; and by this enumeration49 the size of the village is stated, and this number gauges50 the taxes to be paid."
"Citizens cannot dodge51 their taxes here, then, as some of them do in the United States," said Scott.
The party walked the entire length of the hall, and then passed out upon the platform, which was not covered, and was used for various purposes, such as drying rice or other articles. The floors were composed of strips of palm, not more than an inch and a half wide, and placed an inch apart. They were lashed52 to the floor joists, or poles, with rattan.
"Those doors, which indicate the taxable rate of the village, look as though they were cut out of single planks," said Scott.
"And so they are," replied the agent.
"I have seen no saw-mills here, and I suppose they bring the lumber54 from England or India."
"Not at all, though some may be obtained in that manner. They are made from the buttress55 of the tapang-tree, which you must have seen."
"I have not noticed any such thing, though perhaps none of us could identify it," replied the captain.
"It is found growing out in triangular56 form from just above the roots of the tree. In a large one it is[86] twelve or fifteen feet long. It makes a natural plank53 two inches thick, which may be trimmed into any shape with the biliong."
The party were ready to depart; and they made all sorts of courteous57 gestures to their hosts, especially the ladies. The women asked them for tobacco, as Achang interpreted the requests. They had none, but some of the seamen supplied them with all they had about them.
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1
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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2
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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3
naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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5
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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7
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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lure
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| n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引 | |
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9
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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10
piracy
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| n.海盗行为，剽窃，著作权侵害 | |
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11
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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12
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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13
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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14
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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15
laborers
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| n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工 | |
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16
seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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17
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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19
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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20
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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rattan
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| n.藤条，藤杖 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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24
appendage
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| n.附加物 | |
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ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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slanted
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| 有偏见的； 倾斜的 | |
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28
penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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29
pilfering
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| v.偷窃（小东西），小偷( pilfer的现在分词 )；偷窃（一般指小偷小摸） | |
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30
intrude
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| vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰 | |
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31
deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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32
homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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33
peg
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| n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定 | |
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notched
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| a.有凹口的，有缺口的 | |
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veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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36
ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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37
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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38
obeisance
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| n.鞠躬，敬礼 | |
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39
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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40
proffered
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| v.提供，贡献，提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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42
trophies
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| n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖 | |
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43
scuttle
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| v.急赶，疾走，逃避；n.天窗；舷窗 | |
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44
skulls
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| 颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜 | |
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45
relics
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| [pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸 | |
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46
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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47
beckons
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的第三人称单数 ) | |
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48
attic
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| n.顶楼，屋顶室 | |
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49
enumeration
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| n.计数，列举；细目；详表；点查 | |
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50
gauges
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| n.规格( gauge的名词复数 )；厚度；宽度；标准尺寸v.（用仪器）测量( gauge的第三人称单数 )；估计；计量；划分 | |
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51
dodge
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| v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计 | |
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52
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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53
plank
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| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
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54
lumber
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| n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动 | |
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55
buttress
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| n.支撑物；v.支持 | |
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56
triangular
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| adj.三角（形）的，三者间的 | |
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57
courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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