Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-03-23
WILD BORNEO'S
BITTER FEUDS
Difficult Task Of Settling the Disputes
6etWeen the Warning Tribes Of
the Island.
HEADHUNTiNG is PRAcTicED
1t Is Said to be Dying Out, However
Skulls to Mark the
Score.

Were some of our political officers
in BOrneO to write the histories of all
the blood fer1s with which they have
dealt they would fill many and large
volumes, for never a tribe but has it's
two or three. Some of these are of
fairly modern origin and their story
as told over the campfire at night by
the "old man" of the tribe takes but
few minutes to relate, every head
lost or gained being carefully licked
CT on the fingers, the teller being cou-
scious of a score of younger men
sGuatting round each of whom would
consider the omission of his share in
the matter as a personal insult. 9th
ers again are of such long standing
that their origin is lost in the mists
OF time and no man of Telocusan can
tell why his village is at feud with
the people of Panawan.
Various causes contribute to give
rise to these blood feuds. Perhaps
during cattle reaving expedition by
the young bloods of Village A a man
Of Village B will be killed and his
head taken to adorn the long house
at A. The villagers of B, biding their
time (for these are jungle folk and
not courageOus). will take party Of
A people at disadvantage and the
roof beam of the long house Of B has
a heavier weight to carry. Then a
blood feud is declared and it becomes
the bounden duty of every B man
mote the emphasis) to collect the head
Q: every A person that he can manage
to fall upon without much risk to him
self, and vice versa.
Rows Of Skulls Treasured.
Each village keeps count of it's
score by the simple expedient of hang.
ing up the tangible evidence of every
point in the CHASTITY contest so as to
he constantly before it's eyes.
And so the game goes on from year
to year and the row of skulls in each
village grows longer and longer, till
there comes day when the political
officer, having felt his way for months,
quietly suggests to the chief of A that
it might be an advantage to settle mat
ters and make friends with B. The
chief laughs at the idea, but all the
same it sinks in and the old man finds
himself thinking how good it would
be to be able to trade and search for
gutta and rattan in the rich country
round his rivals village.
No more rs said, but the white man
finds himself shortly in Village b and
Tie process is repeated. The next step
is a meeting between the two tribes,
d step only gained by almost superhu.
man patience and tireless diplomacy
on the part of the political officer.
First A will turn up in full force, but
the omens are bad for B and the
meeting falls through. Next time it
is s who comes up to the scratch and
finds an objection. Finally after
lengthy negotiations they meet, both
SIDES fully armed and equally suspic.
ous. and the white man, sitting cool
and collected, opens the palaver.
White Man Needs Patience.
First the score is counted upon both
sides and his heart sinks as he hears
that there is difference of opinion.
A claims that B owes three heads; B
admits only two. Voices are raised
and the political" anxiously watches
the shade Of expression playing like
ripples on water over the faces of the
men. He detects little signs of feel
ing invisible to the eye of the mex
rerienced onlooker and keeps the peace
with joke here proverb there and
ra,ely, very rarely, with few words
CT stern rebuke. At last the score is
settled; B owes A two heads and A
will be content to square matters with
two slaves. 1t is explained gently that
the government Tin Malay parentan
an expressive word) will not counte
nance the barter of slaves and the sug
eestion that the value of the heads
Should be paid over in buffaloes, gongs
OF cloth is received somewhat bubi
ously by both sides
Now the weakness of the orienta
for bargain asserts itself and more
heated argument ensues; finally the
price is settled and all that remain!
is formally TO seal the contract. 4
buffalo is killed stone planted b!
each tribe and the blood of the beas
poured over the stones. fearsome oaths
! being swore the while
One Life Worth SIS.
| The ceremony over, the beast is
cooked, tapai is produced and the tired
''political' leaving the newly made
friends to make merry together. goes
OFF to mis- hut, conscious of a day:
! work done and with the prospect of &
good dinner before him, for was no
his orderly very prominent at the xii
ing, lowering around to get tender
| joint for his master and incidental!
for himself? And good buffalo mea
Is not to be Iespised in the jungle
as rare change from the everlasting
native fowl