WILD MEN OF BORNEO

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 91, 11 January 1921, Page 5

WILD MEN OF BORNEO

There are fewer wild men of Borneo, and they are not as wild as they used to be before British and Dutch came into control of the island and began changing the habits op tile natives. In those days, says a recent visitor in "Travel," there were two kinds of wild men, the Water Dyaks, who lived along the coast, and the Land Dyaks, who lived in the interior, and active enmity between them was perpetual. They met sometimes to trade, buti with weapons in one hand and goods in the other. Those days are past. The land Dyak is free to visit tho coast; the sea Dyak has sometimes moved back and settled in the interior; practically there is only one kind of wild men of Borneo left. But these are still wild enough. British and Dutch officials have not yet obtained complete prohibition of the ancient custom of headhunting, and our traveller tells us that the Dyak who would go a-wooing still goes secretly a-head-hunting first, that he may be regarded by the fair one as a true wild man of Borneo and really desirable suitor.

And still the “sumitan” or blowpipe is his favourite weapon and his way of making it a wonder tb tho traveller. Six or seven feet long, the sumitan is made by drilling a straight hole with a pointed iron rod through a log of hard wood, and for days and days the patient wild man polishes the first drilling, and perfects it with ramrods of rattan. Then he attacks the log and cuts it down until- he has a finished blowpipe, less than an inch in diameter. Time, however, is of little value to him, and it takes time also.to acquire the knack of blowing the dart with speed and accuracy. A sharp, explosive puff from the very bottom of the lungs does the business, and if the dart merely touches the object at which it is aimed the wild man of Borneo has achieved his purpose. Wild enough he still is, and perhaps, aftfer all, it is just as well that the world supply of wild men of Borneo is diminishing.