ce to place; we have no
houses; and when we light a fire, we fear the smoke will draw our
enemies upon us." The appearance of these Dyaks, we are told, is very
prepossessing. They are of middle height, active, and good-natured in
their expression; the women not so good-looking, but as cheerful
tempered. "The dress of the men consists of a piece of cloth, about
fifteen feet long, passed between the legs, and fastened round the
loins, with the ends hanging before and behind; the head-dress is
composed of bark cloth, dyed bright yellow, and stuck up in front, so as
to resemble a tuft of feathers. The arms and legs are often ornamented
with rings of silver, brass, or shell; and necklaces are worn, made of
human teeth, or those of bears or dogs, or of white beads, in such
numberless strings as to conceal the throat. A sword on one side, a
knife and small betel-basket on the other, completes the ordinary
equipment of the males; but when they travel, they carry a basket slung
from the forehead, on which is a palm mat, to protect the owner and his
property from the weather. The women wear a short and scanty petticoat,
reaching from the loins to the knees, and a pair of black bamboo stays,
which are never removed except the wearer be _enceinte_. They have rings
of brass and red bamboo about the loins, and sometimes ornaments on the
arms; the hair is worn long; the ears of both sexes are pierced, and
ear-rings of brass inserted occasionally; the teeth of the young people
are sometimes filed to a point and discoloured, as they say that 'dogs
have white teeth.' They frequently dye their feet and hands of a bright
red or yellow colour; and the young people, like those of other
countries, affect a degree of finery and foppishness, whilst the elders
invariably lay aside all ornaments as unfit for a wise person, or one
advanced in years." The character given of these Dyaks is highly
favourable. They are pronounced grateful for kindness, industrious,
honest, simple, mild, tractable and hospitable, when well used. The word
of one may be taken before the oath of half a dozen Borneons. Their
ideas are limited enough; they reckon with their fingers and toes, and
few are arithmeticians beyond counting up to twenty. They can repeat the
operation, but they must record each twenty by making a knot in a
string.

It was to these people that Mr Brooke made more than one excursion
during his first visit to Sar[=a]wak. He met with no disaster, but h