Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1894-07-13
AMONG TIE DYhK5.

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 44 ,,,e call Australia a continent. as
 wise men do. then Rorneo would |be the largest island in the world. | |oeed not tell you where it is. nor that lfhe equator runs through Ii so that IL |is 2. warm country.
 There are q great many different |tribes in Borneo, with different Ian 8n,,aoes and different forms of pagan 5sm' of all these it is well to know, but |for.4he present I shall take up the time |;n telling you about the Dyalss. The Dyaks are divided into two oreat tribes the sea Dyaks and the Hand Dyaks. The latter are a fierce, Iwarlilte people; and until the civilized nations sent ships to punish them, the line former were the most daring and |cruel pirates in the world. The zDvalzs of both tribes are not 2so dark as our Indians. They sare of medium height, and no men sin all the world surpass or even equal 4bena in strength and activity While Ed fierce and cruel, the Dyalzs might be .called handsome people. The strong sest men rarely have any beard, and but sfor the dress, 1t would be difficult to Etell the sexes apart.
 The land Dyalzs-even the women Eta+too their arms and breasts, but the Ken Dyaks never disfguIe themselves zin this way, so that it is easy to tell stbem apart. One of the things that ssurprised me most among the land zDvals was the fact that all the ehil- 5slren. boys and girls. had the most Beautiful white teeth l eve1, saw, while sthe teeth of the grown up people were =as black as ink and shone as if they sbad been iapanned. The stain for the 4eeth is produced from the sap of native tree, and the staining is q great seyent among these people. It is usual zly followed by a feast, for it marks fhat period of life when the girl is to be regarded as a woman and the boy as a man.
 All the men, women and children aamong the land Dyal1s delight in adorn- sng their arms and ankles with rings of brass and coils of copper wire. The sfeason the sea Dyal1s do not nse these ornaments is that if they upset their boats the load of metal would cause them to sink.
 Although considered sayages, the sDyaks build comfortable houses, live in gillages ruled over by a chief. and they Ere wonderfully skiIlful in working iron ore intosteel blades. Their swords are only exceled by the famous blades of Toledo and Damascus, and they not only make sharp. bright swords, but sthey are so expert in using them that hand to hand they have beaten the best English soldiers.
 There is great deal of swampy country in the land of the Dyalss. in Southeastern Borneo, and these ob- staeles to travel are overcome, not by boards or bridges, sueh as we have, but by means of ropes swung from tree fo three, or from bank to bank. The people cross these slender bridges with a rapidity and ease that would amaze onr best tight-rope dancers. Women Nith uneoncern carry great loads over fhese ropes. and they cross them like squirrels, with their children strapped to their backs. They use no balancing poles, and even little tots ef children fun over these ropes. or swing from them, seemingly as secure as if they
 Were on the solid earth.
 @ I wanted to cross one of these bridges sn order to make a journey. but did bot dare undertake it. There was nothing left for me but to trust my one Hundred and fifty pounds weight to a Dyal guide. He took me on his back with an ease and confidence that ought to have treasured me, but it did not I elosed my eyes and held my breath, but fhat man carried me across on q rope a Hundred feet in length and not much Ihicker than clothesline, and he Would have carried my rifle and bag gage at the same time had l not vio- #lently protested.
 The women are slillful i'll weaving a
 strong and firm cloth from the flores sof native plant, and though there is no need to burden themselves with
 beayy garments, their attire is becon-
 }ng and picturesque The children,
 like all the children of these tropie is, zhnds go nearly naked but they have
 a great fondness for wearing garlands Bsef bright-hued flowers about their
 heads, and they often make most be eoming capes of the same beautiful but
 trail materials
 l have seen the boys and girls of every zl1and, but do not think I ever met any So slender. graceful, active and tireless sas the Eonng land Dyaks. They i'm.
 Dressed me in their movements and
 elth their peals of musical laughter, as
 being intangible from the descendants
 of the fairies, of whom l had delighted
 fo read as child. One of the great seharlns of the Dyak women and young 34olks is their hair. 1t is black, thick
 lossy and well cared for, and where
 flowed to flow freely over the back il
 Frequently touches the ground. ga Unlike most savage races, the DvaI
 men treat ther women with much af Ieetion and do not throw on them the
 great burden of the work The wome1
 gre good cooks, and all the Dyaks arc great eaters, as are most people whC
 1ake great deal of exercise These
 people have idols, yet they believe that is only one true God, but they Shave innumerable evil spirits, and they
 haYe horror of going near grave at ight, particularly the grave of a rela
 flve or friend
 While they are afraid of dead friends
 they like to have the trophies of deaC #Ioes near them. As I have told you sa hey are great fighters, and they are 8a ways at war vvitj, 4bei,. ,,air.l,l ,e,.,