to cause the blade to glance off
any hard substance and inflict a wound on its wielder. This weapon is
manufactured in Brunai, but is the proper arm of the Kyans and, now,
also of the Sarawak Dyaks, who are closely allied to them and who, in
this as in other matters, such as the curious perforation of a part of
their person, which has been described by several writers, are following
their example. The Kyans were once the most formidable Sub-Malay tribe
in Northern Borneo and have been alluded to in preceding pages. On the
West coast, their headquarters is the Baram River, which has recently
been added to Sarawak, but they stretch right across to the East Coast
and Dutch territory.

There are many kinds of canoes, from the simple dug-out, with scarcely
any free-board, to the _pakerangan_, a boat the construction of which is
confined to only two rivers in North Borneo. It is built up of planks
fastened together by wooden pegs, carvel fashion, on a small keel, or
_lunas_. It is sharp at both ends, has very good lines, is a good sea
boat and well adapted for crossing river bars. It is not made in Brunai
itself, but is bought from the makers up the coast and invariably used
by the Brunai fishermen, who are the best and most powerful paddlers to
be found anywhere. The trading boats--_prahus_ or _tongkangs_--are
clumsy, badly fastened craft, not often exceeding 30 tons burthen, and
modelled on the Chinese junk, generally two-masted, the foremast raking
forward, and furnished with rattan rigging and large lug sails. This
forward rake, I believe, was not unusual, in former days, in European
craft, and is said to aid in tacking. The natives now, however, are
getting into the way of building and rigging their boats in humble
imitation of the Europeans. The _prahus_ are generally furnished with
long sweeps, useful when the wind falls and in ascending winding rivers,
when the breeze cannot be depended on. The canoes are propelled and
steered by single-bladed paddles. They also generally carry a small
sail, often made of the remnants of different gaily coloured garments,
and a fleet of little craft with their gaudy sails is a pleasing sight
on a fresh, bright morning. At the sports held by the Europeans on New
Year's Day, the Queen's Birthday and other festivals, native canoe
races are always included and are contested with the keenest possible
excitement by the competitors. A Brunai Malay takes to the water and to
his tiny canoe al