As the
weather was cloudy I decided to return here soon, by myself, in order to
photograph and make closer inspection of the burial-place. I then
descended to the prahu, and desiring to make camp at a sufficient distance
to keep my men in a tranquil state of mind, we went about two kilometres
down the river and found a convenient camping-place in the jungle.
On two later occasions I visited the cave and its surroundings, becoming
thoroughly acquainted with the whole mountain. The Penihings have an easy
access to this primeval tomb, a little further below, by means of a path
leading from the river through a comparatively open forest. The corpse in
its box is kept two to seven days in the house at the kampong; the body of
a chief, which is honoured with a double box, remains ten days. According
to an otherwise trustworthy Penihing informant, funeral customs vary in
the different kampongs of the tribe, and generally the box is placed on a
crude platform a metre above the ground.
As for the orchid, I, as well as the Dayaks, who were shown an
illustration of it, searched in vain for three days. There is no doubt
that I was at the place which had been described to me, but the plant must
be extremely rare and probably was discovered accidentally "near the
water," as the native collector said, perhaps when he was resting.
CHAPTER XXIII
A PROFITABLE STAY - MAGNIFICENT FRUITS OF BORNEO - OMEN BIRDS - THE PENIHINGS
IN DAILY LIFE - TOP PLAYING - RELIGIOUS IDEAS - CURING DISEASE
On my return to camp a pleasant surprise awaited me in the arrival of
mail, the first in six months. The days that followed were laborious:
buying, arranging, and cataloguing collections. From early morning
Penihings came to my tent, desiring to sell something, and did not quit
until late at night. Some were content to stand quietly looking at the
stranger for ten or fifteen minutes, and then to go away, their places
being taken by others. But after all it was a happy time, much being
accomplished every day by adding to my collections and gaining much
interesting information.
Over my tent grew a couple of rambutan trees, and close by were two trees
bearing a still more delicate fruit called lansat (lansium domesticum).
It is mildly acid, like the best kind of orange, but with more flavour,
and In appearance resembles a small plum without a stone, and when ripe is
almost white in colour. Every morning, at my request, the chief climbed
one of these trees, on Which the fruit hung by the bushel, and sold me a
basketful for a trifle. The lansat is so easily digested that one can eat
it freely in the evening without inconvenience; in fact it is a decided
aid to digestion. According to the natives these trees are plentiful in
the utan, but in the kampong they, as well as the famous durian and the
rambutan, have been raised from seed. Borneo certainly possesses fine wild
fruits, but as the jungle is laborious to pass through it would be most
difficult to find the trees. I have hitherto directed attention to the
superior quality attained by the fruits of the island which are grown from
imported stock, as the pineapple, pomelo, etc.
The usual nuisance of crowing cocks is not to be avoided in a Dayak
kampong, though here they were few. I saw a hen running with a small
chicken in her beak, which she had killed in order to eat it - a common
occurrence according to the Penihings. The ludicrous self-sufficiency of
the Bornean male fowls, at times very amusing, compensates to some extent
for the noise they make, but they are as reckless as the knights-errant of
old. Outside my tent at dawn one morning I noticed one of them paying
devoted attention to a hen which was hovering her chickens. He stood
several seconds with his head bent down toward hers, then walked round
her, making demonstrations of interest, and again assumed his former
position, she meanwhile clucking protectingly to her brood. Finally, he
resolutely attacked her, whereupon she emitted a discordant shriek while
seven or eight tiny yellow chicks streamed forth from underneath her; in
response to her cry of distress another cock immediately appeared upon the
scene and valiantly chased the disturber away.
No less than nine prahus started out one day, bound for Long Iram to buy
salt and other goods, taking a small quantity of rattan. The following
day, late in the afternoon, the party returned, having passed the night a
short distance away. As they had approached Long Blu an omen bird,
evidently a small woodpecker, had flown across their path in front of the
first prahu, whereupon the whole flotilla at once retraced their course - a
tedious day's trip against the current. It makes no difference whether
this bird flies from left to right, or from right to left, or whether it
crosses in front or behind the boat. If the bird is heard from the
direction on the left of the party the augury is bad, whether he is seen
or not. If heard from the right side everything is well. After waiting
three days the party proceeded on their way.
There are seven omen birds, according to the Penihings, and they are
regarded as messengers sent by a good antoh to warn of danger. For the
same purpose he make a serpent pass in front of the prahu, or a rusa cry
in the middle of the day. At night this cry is immaterial. The most
inauspicious of all omens is the appearance of a centipede. If a man in a
ladang is confronted with such an animal he at once stops work there and
takes up a new field.
