The pagan tribes of Borneo - Get a Free Blog Here

Ill THE PEOPLES OF BORNEO 39
His features are less regular and rather coarser and
heavier ; his expression is serious, reserved, and
cautious.
The Murut is nearly as fair skinned as the
Kenyah, perhaps a little ruddier in tone. His most
characteristic feature is the length of his leg and
lack of calf, in both of which respects he contrasts
strongly with the Kenyah. The length of his leg
raises his stature above the average. His intona-
tion is characteristic, namely, somewhat whining ;
whereas the Kenyah's speech is crisp and staccato.
The Klemantans present a greater variety of
physical types, being a less homogeneous group.
Roughly they may be said to present all transitions
from the Kenyah to the Murut type. In the main
they are less muscular and active than the Kenyah.
It is amongst them that the upward and forward
direction of the plane of the nostrils is most marked.
The Punan presents, again, a well-marked type.
His skin is even fairer than the Kenyah's, and is
distinguished by a distinctly greenish tinge. He
is well proportioned, graceful, and muscular, and
his features are in many cases very regular and
pleasing. His expression is habitually melancholy
and strikingly wary and timid. In spite of his
homeless nomadic life he generally appears well
nourished and clean, and he seems less subject
to sores and to the skin diseases which so often
disfigure the other peoples, especially the Muruts,
Kayans, and Sea Dayaks.^
All these peoples, with the exception of the
Punans and similar nomads, live in village communities
situated with few exceptions on the banks
of the rivers. The populations of these villages
vary from 20 or 30 persons only in the smallest, to
^ It seems not unreasonable to conjecture that the uniformly high physical
standard of the Punans and their seemingly exceptional immunity from disease
are due to their exposed mode of life, and to the consequently severe selection
exercised upon them by their environment.