The pagan tribes of Borneo - Get a Free Blog Here

Ill THE
PEOPLES OF BORNEO 33
become possessed by a furious excitement that drives
them on to acts of the most heartless treachery and
the most brutal ferocity.
All the Sea Dayaks speak one language, with
but slight local diversities of dialect. It is extremely
simple, being almost devoid of inflections,
and of very simple grammatical structure, relying
largely on intonation. It is closely allied to Malay.
(2) The Kayans are widely distributed throughout
central Borneo, and are to be found in large villages
situated on the middle reaches of all the principal
rivers with the exception of those that run to the
north coast. They occupy in the main a zone
dividing the districts of the lower reaches of the
rivers from the central highlands from which all
the rivers flow.
They are a warlike people, but less truculent
than the Sea Dayaks, more staid and conservative
and religious, and less sociable. They do not
wantonly enter into quarrels ; they respect and obey
their chiefs. They are equally industrious with
the Sea Dayaks, and though somewhat slow and
heavy in both mind and body, they are more skilled
in the handicrafts than any of the other peoples.
They also speak one language, which presents even
less local diversity than the Sea Dayak language.
(3) The Kenyahs predominate greatly in the
highlands a little north of the centre of Borneo
where all the large rivers have their sources ; but
they are found also in widely scattered villages
throughout the Kayan areas. In all respects they
show closer affinities with the Kayans than with
the Sea Dayaks ; as regards custom and mode of
life they closely resemble the Kayans, with whom
they are generally on friendly terms ; but they are
easily distinguished from the Kayans by well-marked
differences of bodily and mental characters, as
well as by language. Physically they are without
VOL. I D