The morning call., 1892-12-18
HEAD HUvrERs-rHE RUIIya PASSION.

be enabled TO thoroughly dominate the peo-
pie in the huge territory it has taken mp.
THE Sikh police. which we originally
imported from India and the Straits Settle
ments, proved 10 be valueless for the jungle
fighting which is necessary in our part Of
the world. One must set a thief TO catch a
thief. and SO, leaving the Sikhs for open
country hghting-at which they have no
superiOrs-we organized a body of fifty
Borneo Dyaks and drilled them TO our mod
ern systems of warfare.
They made splendid force of men,
Small, wiry and of indomitable courage We
deemed we had everything we required in
the way of efficient soldieTy.
"An opportunity soon came TO test the
new force. 4 COLONY of Sulus and Bajows
had established themselves on an island
close 10 the mainland of Bornen, off SLAM
on the east coast. Constant complaints OF
piracy and murder were brought TO US by
escaped Chinese and native traders coming
up TO our ports from South BoIDeo.
Zone case more garing than the rest, in
which several men were murdered. gave the
Company an excuse TO move in the matter,
and notice was served the islanders that
prompt retrIbutiOn would follow the next
case of piracy or murder. They sent back
an impGdent defiance and challenged US to
fight. The Government cruiser Petrol was
promptly manned with our pet fifty Dyaks.
under command Of Captain Barnett, and
steamed for the Island.
AT our approach the pirates bravely sal
lied out to meet us In their war canoes.
They had wooden breastw0rks in the front
of their prahas from behind which they
hrandlshed their krises and spears and yelled
defiance at us.
The water was TOO shoal TO admit of our
cruiser advancing, and so we lowered four
boats carrying thirty Dyak policemen, who
advanced on the enemy, who were about
eighty strong.
Then the Maxim gun was brought into
n
envy. They laughed at rifles and ordinary
musketrY. hut The ceaSeless shower OF bull
let's from the Maxim gun was one too
many for them and they padded of and
fed across the shoal to the mainland.
The Dyak police followed in order TO
burn their village and bring back prisoners
for trial, OF whom we intended 20 make an
example. The enemy, however. escaped
into the jungles and we made no prisoners,
so burning their village as a punishment,
we steamed away to our settlement in the
north.
Then the mystery of why no prisoners
had been taken suddenly came TO be known.
Investigation of rumors brought to light
fifteen CORY heads which were found in the
quarters of the Dyak police
in the wild excitement of pursuit and
battle ali their civilized training and drill
was forgotten, and tackling the enemy in
the jungle each man who succeeded in beat
ing his adversary promptly beheaded him.
sarong had struggled il on board and
brought ii homo TO dry-smoke and hang I'd
in his hut, according to traditional Dyak
warrior custom.
'Of course, severe reprlmand and pun
ishment WAS melted out to the offenders, but
while such course would appease the
sedate Englishman at home the object les
son was in nowise understood by our Dyak
people, who thought such interference with
their custom merely childish and silly.
II merely naTrate the story to show you
how thoroughly ingrained the head-hunting
habit Is among the Dyaks nj Borneo.
"Wild men Of Borneo? Let me explain
Orang means man and utan wild woods in
the Malay language. The great monkey of
Borneo has been named oTangoutang by
white folks. and in this way all manner of
exaggerated stories have been confusedly
started about wild men In Borneo.
1.-THE Dyaks and other races are sedate
and polished people far superior to the Aus
tralian blacks, the Polynesiaus and many
other races in the scale of civilization. II
is only when they get to fighting and head.
hunting that we can call them wild from
our so-called civilized standpoint Of war
fare.
There are no other wild men in Borneo."