Through Central Borneo An Account Of Two Years' Travel In The Land Of The Head-Hunters Between The Years 1913 And 1917 By Carl Lumholtz
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Such A Party Carries No Provisions,
Eating Sago And Animals That They Kill.
Their weapons are sumpitans and
parangs, and equipment for stamping sago forms part of their outfit.
The
rhino is approached stealthily and the large spear-point on one end of the
sumpitan is thrust into its belly. Thus wounded it is quite possible, in
the dense jungle, to keep in touch with it, and, according to trustworthy
reports, one man alone is able in this way to kill a rhino. It is hunted
for the horn, which Chinamen will buy.
At my request two of the hunters gave war-dances very well, taking turns.
Their movements were graceful, and in the moonlight they appeared sinuous
as serpents. The same dance obtains in all the tribes visited, and the
movement is forward and back, or in a circle. It was performed by one man
who in a preliminary way exercised the flexible muscles of the whole body,
after which he drew his sword, seized the shield which was lying on the
ground and continued his dancing more vigorously, but with equal grace.
Pisha, the chief, came to the dance, and the meeting with the new
arrivals, though silent and undemonstrative, was decidedly affectionate,
especially with one of them who was a near relative. Half embracing each
other, they stood thus at least a minute.
The Penyahbongs have rather long legs, take long paces, putting down their
heels first. They have great endurance and can walk in one day as far as a
Malay can in three.
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