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. In the mountains the cold weather prevented them from
sleeping much. It often happened that they were without food for three
days, when they would drink water and smoke tobacco. Trees are climbed in
the jumping way described before, and without any mechanical aid. Formerly
bathing was not customary. Excrements are left on the ground and not in
the water. They don't like the colour red, but prefer black. Fire was made
by flint and iron, which they procured from the Saputans.
The hair is not cut nor their teeth. The women wear around the head a ring
of cloth inside of which are various odoriferous leaves and flowers of
doubtful appreciation by civilised olfactory senses. A strong-smelling
piece of skin from the civet cat is often attached to this head ornament,
which is also favoured by natives on the Mahakam.
In regard to ear ornamentation the Penyahbongs are at least on a par with
the most extreme fashions of the Dayaks. The men make three slits in the
ear; in the upper part a wooden disk is enclosed, in the middle the tusk
of a large species of cat, and in the lobe, which is stretched very long,
hangs a brass coil. The ears of the women have only two incisions, the one
in the middle part being adorned with bead strings, while in the lobe up
to one hundred tin rings may be seen. They are tatued, and noticeable on
the men is a succession of stars across the chest, as if hanging on a
thread which is lower in the middle. The stars symbolise the fruits of
durian. The colour of the tatuing is obtained from damar.
Formerly they wore scanty garments of fibre, the man wearing only a loin
cloth, and in case of cold weather a piece of the same material covered
the shoulders and back. The woman had a short skirt folded together at the
back, and both sexes used rattan caps.
