New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-15
and who are content with little. Since Mr.. Wal

and who are content with little Since Mr.. Wal
lace astonished the world with his picture OF tn'
Arcadian life maintained on the Island Oh Doooo
by commlxture of savage tribes without the SEM
blance of q government, there has been nothing
to compare with Mr.. Hornaday's description OF
the Sea Dvaks, in fact They are not teetotalers,
and at their teasts it is customary for the women
to make the men drunk This sounds shocX'pg'
but MIR. Hornaday says that Dyak is "a gentle
man. even when drunk" Intoxlcation does not
render them quarresome or rude, but merely eA-
| b,arotes them Their honesty is surprising, ana
| their engagements are always kept to the letter.
| They always pay their debts and their credit ~
! frSt-rate with the traders. Mr.. Hornaday says Oh
them: "In these strange children OF nature we
sec all the cardinal WIT les without ray Vi
roIioior morality without ministers, the Christian
oraces without Christ or gospel. They keep no
| sab5aths. pray no PRAYERS build no temples, wor-
/ ship nothing and nobody, and acknowledge ho
| HIGHER tribunal than the bar OF pubic OPINION "h
one hand and the Sarawak Government court Oh
the other And again he says: In hospitality
| human sympathy and charity, the Dyaks are not
outrauked by any people living, so far as Know
and their morals are far superior to ours as our
intelligence is beyond theirs. If happiness is the
1 goal of numan existence they are much nearer IL
| than we'
| II is possible that longer residence among the
| Dvaks would have caused tho author to modify
| tbase strong exnressions 1t is not long since
| the Dyaks were devoted to the popular pastime oil
| head-hnnting-a pursuit enthusiastic attachment
| to which can hardly be thought compatible Win
! the display of all the Christian eraces'
| But in truth Mr.. Hornaday Is rather
| ant TO write loosely when off his own topics
as before remarked, and it Will not be saie 10 &C
| cept all his conclusions as demonstrated. AS an
example of his ha ,tness we may cite what be saws
! of tho customs of the Dyaks of living In long
! houses many families together Mr.. llornaday
! speaks of this as a peculiar practice with the
! people of BorneO, whereas it is common TO nearly
all savages at a certain stage o. evolution ana ha:
! been followed by probably every tribe of North
| American Indians. The Senacas and the lroquois
| all lived IN the long houses" few generations
back and there Is reason to believe that the same
| customs obtained both in Central and South
America OF course it is not necessary that DAT
uralist should have studied primitive cui-
turc and anthropology but then such an one should
not venture to deliver judgment on matters lying
| outside his own lines of investigation.
Mr. Horoaday's book however, cOltans too much
that is meritorious for its deserts to be obscured by
occasional lapses growing probably quite as much
out of exube ance of spirits as anything else leI
| word must be said concerning his style. Az It's
best 1t is SIMPLE straightforward anu cleai'
But he has tendency to introduce slangy e1-
pressions which give faint Of vulgarity To
the pages in which they appear, aud which are de-
cided blemishes to the book, though they are not
so numerous as to interfere seriously with the
pleasure of its perusa. Taking it altogether II IS
an interesting narrative of travel, sport ana ad'
venture over a very wide area and the description
is y1vaclous and generally good. There is indeed
no dull writ g in it, and it is record of really
| astonishing amount of very hard work, perlormei
often under serious difficulties, with the most
cheerful spirit in the world.