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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It Was About Thirty Centimetres Lower Than The
Remainder Of The Floor, On Which I Counted Nineteen Small Rooms, Or Rather
Stalls.
In the middle of the dancing place was a large ornamental stand
made of wood, twice as high as a man, from which were hanging great
quantities of stripped palm leaves.
From the western part of the stand
protruded upward a long narrow plank, painted with simple curved designs
representing nagah, the great antoh, shaped like a serpent and provided
with four short curved fangs stretched forward. The people could not be
induced to sell the effigy because it was not yet one year old.
The country was uneven and heavy for travelling, or, as the carriers
expressed it, the land was sakit (Malay for "ill"). There were more
mountain ranges than I expected, rather low, though one we got a fine view
of two quite impressive mountains. Here and there on the distant hillsides
ladangs were seen and solitary houses could be discerned. On our arrival
in the first kampong we were hospitably offered six young cocoanuts,
considered a great delicacy even among white people. Although I do not
much appreciate the sweetish, almost flavourless water of this fruit, they
proved very acceptable to my men, as the day was intensely hot for Borneo.
At the kampong Belimbing, by taking out on of the walls which were
constructed like stiff mats, I obtained a good room in the pasang grahan,
but the difficulty about getting men increased.
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