Litchfield enquirer., 1832-04-05
DIAKS OF BORNEO.


 of inc AIleghany mountains. This immense country has seldom beer visited by Europe ans, in consequence of the savage and fero- ciOus character of the inhabitants, who have been in the habit of murdering, without dis eriminalOn, all of every nation that have fall en into their hands. A few years since, how ever, an Englishnan by the name of Dalton, happe ened to land upon the island, under cir cumstanccs which enabled him to secure the protection of one of the principal chiefs; with whom he remained for fifteen months, and during this period accompanied him in his expeditions, and acquired much valuable in- formation respecting the country and its in- habitants. We are indebted to the Rev. Mir. Abeel, the American missionary, now resid- ing in that part of the world, for the follow ing account of the people of ths island, taken from Mr. Dalton's Journal. It will be read with deep interest.
 Amongst the various races of people in- habiting these islands, the Diaks are the most peculiar, and certainly by far the most nu- merous of the whole. They cover the whole island of BorneO, with a considerable portion of the CeIebcs. Their tribes are innulnera bIe. Every river has Rajah, and large one several. In particular parts, many of these Chiefs are united under one great Raiah.
 Warlikc character ot he people.
 The Raah of the country of Waahoo has 70 chiefs under him, all of whom are likewise called Raiahs. sedgen has 50, whilst Selgie has more than 40. The latter chief is by far the most powerful in this part of Borneo Selgie has l7 wives, all daughters of Rajahs l; he is himself one of the largest and best pro- portioned men ever saw.
 The ravages of these people are dreadful.- In August, 1928, Selgie returned to Marpow, from an excursion. His party had been three months absent. during which time, besides detached huts, he had destroyed seventeen campongs, (settlsments,) with the whole of the men and old women. The young wo. men and children were brought prisoners The former amounted tO 1l3, and the latter to about 900. He had with him about forty war-6oats, or large canoes, none less in length than 95 feet.
 The perseverance of the Daks during an expedition is wonderful. They generally get information of the distant campogns, from the women prisoners, tho man ever escapes to tell the tals,) who soon become attached to the conquerors. In proceeding towards a distant campong, the canoes are never seen on the river during the daytime; they inva- riably commence their journey about half an hour after dark. when they pull rapidly and silently up the river close to the bank. When the boats having arrived within about mile of a? campong, they prepare themselves. About twenty minutes before day.break, they cOmmense operations by throwing upon the attaps (rOofs) of the huts, lighted fireballs, which immediately involve tine whole in flames. The war cry is then raised. and the work of murder commences the male inhab- itants are speared, or more commonly cut down with the mandow. as they descend the ladders of their dwellings in attempting to es- cape the flames. which Segie remarked to me, gi,e just sufficient light to dislin- guish a man from woman. After the wo- men and children are collected, the old wo- men are killed, and the heads of the men cut off. the brains taken out and held over fire, for the purpose of smoking and preserving them. The women and children are only se- c0ndary considerations.
 The heads are what they want, and there is no suffering Dak will not cheerfully en- dure, to be recompenscd by single one.- From the last excursion,' Selge's people brought them 700 heads, of which 25O fell to the lot of himself and sons. The wo. men and children all belonged to him in the first instance. Many of Selsie's tribe are can- nibals some. however, will not eat human flesh. and others refuse to do SO except on particular occasions: as birth, marriage or funeral. All these events are celebrated with fresh heads. Nothing could be done without them. All kinds of sickness. particularly the small pox, are supposed to be under the in- : huence of an evil spirit, which nothing can so we'll propitiate as a head.
 Singularly degraded race in the north oT Bor- to.-Furtherto towards the north of BOrneo, ,are to be found men living absolutely in state of nature, who neither cultivate the ground, nor live in huts; who neither eat rice nor salt, and who do not associate with each other, but rove about the woods like wild beasts.- The sexes meet in the jungle. or the man carries away a woman from some caf1pong. When tho children are old enough to shift for themselves, they usually separate, neither one afterwards thinking of the other. At night they sleep under a large tree, tho branches ofwhich hang low. On the branch es they fasten ths children in a kind of swing; around the tree they make a fire to keep off the wild beasts and snakes. They cover themselves with piece of cOolit kayu. and in this they also wrap the children. It is soft and warm, hut will not keep out the rain.- These poor creatures are looked on and treat ed hy the other Diaks as wild beasts. Hunt. ing parties of S5 or so go out and amuss themselves with shooting the c:ildren in the trees with the sampit, the same as monkeys, from which they are not easily distinguished. The men taken in these excursions, ara inya- riably killed the women commonly spared if they are young. It is somewhat remarka- ble that the children of these wild Diaks can-