e most ignorant,
and therefore the most wild, of the Dyaks of my country; and, from
their position, they have never been overcome or ruined, and are
therefore a rich community, and proportionately independent. Their
old chief is by name Parembam, and the Panglima, or head-warrior, his
younger brother, by name Si Tummo. These men have for a very long time
ruled this tribe; and the elder has certainly acquired from the Malays
a portion of cunning and intrigue, and lost the general simplicity of
the native Dyak character. He is unquestionably a man of ability. His
sway, however, on the mountain has for a long time been unpopular;
and a large proportion of the people, dissatisfied with his extortions,
have been attached to a younger chief, by name Bibit. Some time past,
finding it impossible to manage this old chief, Parembam, and being
convinced that the change might readily be made, I called Bibit, and
made him chief, or Orang Kaya of the tribe. Parembam neither was nor is
inclined to give up his authority without a struggle; and though the
mass adhere to the new chief, by title 'Steer Rajah,' yet Parembam's
long-established customs, his great wealth, and his talents, render
him a dangerous old man to the younger leader. One quality, however,
Parembam is deficient in, as well as his brother the Panglima, and
that is _bravery_; and on this much depends in a Dyak tribe. Steer
Rajah, on the contrary, has always been renowned in war, and is the
envied possessor of many heads. The Dyaks have among them a fashion
which they call bunkit, or vaunting; for instance, in the present
case Steer Rajah and Parembam dared each other to go on excursions
to procure heads, _i. e._ against their enemies--this is bunkit. One
of Steer Rajah's followers went accordingly, and quickly procured the
head of a hostile warrior far out of my territory; and on the return
of the party, Parembam in turn sent forty men to Simpoke, which is
a tribe attached to Samarahan, and on our immediate border. Close to
the Dyaks of Simpoke live a party of the Sigo Dyaks, who belong to me;
and this party of Parembam's, confounding friends and enemies, killed
some of the Sigo Dyaks--how many is not certain. The Sigos, taking
the alarm, cut off their retreat, and killed two of the Singe Dyaks;
and many beside were wounded by sudas and ranjows, and, all broken,
fled back to their own country. Thus, though they obtained five heads,
they lost two, and those belonging to th