According to several possibilities the divinations are
expounded: Should the rattan break before smoke ensues, the undertaking is
postponed for an hour or two; if the rattan breaks into two equal parts,
fish will not be caught; but if the right-hand piece is longer than the
left, all is well and much fish will be the result.
The assemblage was chewing betel, smoking tobacco, and with hopeful
patience anticipating a successful outcome, while one chief after another
vainly attempted the augury. Only men who have taken heads are permitted
to make divinations of fire at the tuba-fishing, and if all the elders
have tried and failed the fishing is delayed one day.
The same augury is used when dogs have run away. If the left-hand piece is
the longer, the dog is dead; if of the same size, the dog will be found at
a distant future time; but if the right is the longer, the animal will be
recovered very soon. The reading of pig's liver in regard to the present
or the future is used more by the Kayan than by the Kenyah.
It was after nine o'clock in the morning when success was attained, and
the fishers all suddenly dispersed. Some of them carried beaten bark into
four empty prahus, threw water over it with their hands, then beat it
again, until finally it was crushed to shreds. The prahus were then turned
over and the stuff emptied into the water, where it soon disappeared. The
bark on the blocks, which by this time had the appearance of a
reddish-brown fibre, was now thrown into the river with much shouting and
running about, whereupon the men ran out of sight, probably to take to
their prahus.
The majority of the stupefied fish are caught in the so-called "bring,"
the traps running across the river, but frantic endeavours were made by
those engaged in the sport to take the fish before the fences were
reached, and for this purpose hand nets or spears were used. This part of
the proceeding was most entertaining.
The fleet of prahus thoroughly searched the water, descending the river
slowly in seven hours. At a few places where the stream makes large pools
a few hundred metres long the boats loitered for a considerable time, as
the prey would not often rise to the surface. Now and then there was much
excitement over a fish that had risen and dived again, and the nearest
prahus would all try to get it. Soon a man would be seen to jump after it
with fixed spear, pass out of view, and after a while reappear on the
surface, invariably with a large fish on the spear point. It was a
magnificent exhibition of agility combined with skill.
The Malays also captured many victims with their casting-nets. It is
customary for each to consider as his personal property all the fish he
obtains. These gatherings afford much delight to the children, of whom a
great number accompanied their elders in the prahus. Women and children
were in holiday attire, and, in spite of the grotesque ornaments of big
rings in the split, distended ear-lobes, the latter were unusually
charming. They had bracelets of brass and silver around their wrists and
ankles; some of them wore necklaces of antique beads in dull colors,
yellow, dark brown, or deep blue. Such a necklace may cost over a thousand
florins. The spirit of the whole occasion was like that of a great picnic.
All was over at five o'clock in the afternoon, when the people dispersed
to their respective kampongs. At each of the seven "bring," each belonging
to one of the principal men, were caught from 100 to 200 fish, most of
them fairly large. I noted seven species. More than a thousand have been
caught, and for the next two nights and days the people were engaged in
opening and drying fish over fire and smoke. Thus preserved they are of a
dark-brown tint, very light in weight, and will keep for three months.
Before the dried product is eaten it is pounded, then boiled, and with
each mouthful a pinch of salt is taken.
During the night much fish was obtained even as far down the river as our
kampong, and many men searched for it here, using as lamps petroleum in
bamboo with a piece of cloth for a wick. Next day all the able-bodied
people left the kampong for a week's stay at the ladangs (fields), one
day's journey up the Kayan River, only the weak and old people remaining
behind. On this occasion I observed five or six individuals, men and
women, of a markedly light, yellowish colour. One woman's body was as
light as that of a white woman, but her face was of the usual colour,
perhaps somewhat lighter.
CHAPTER VIII
THE JOURNEY CONTINUED UP THE KAYAN RIVER - FIRST EXPERIENCE OF KIHAMS, OR
RAPIDS - WITH KENYAH BOATMEN - ADVANTAGE OF NATIVE COOKING - LONG
PELABAN - THE ATTRACTIVE KENYAHS - SOCIAL STRATA - CUSTOMS AND
HABITS - VALUABLE BEADS
At Long Pangian several days were spent in vain efforts to secure men and
prahus to continue the journey up the Kayan River. The few Malays about,
as usual, did not believe in work, but the posthouder finally succeeded in
calling Kenyahs from the river above, and on the 1st of May we started
with five prahus and twenty-four men. It was quite refreshing to hear
again the joyous shouts of the paddlers, who worked eagerly and quickly
against the strong current. A little over an hour brought us to some
well-known rapids, or "kihams," as they usually are called in Borneo.
Formerly this Kiham Raja had a bad reputation, Dayaks being killed here
occasionally every year, but of late the government has blasted out rocks
and made it more passable.
