Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-04-22
INTERIOR OF BoRNEo.
An Unexplored District Inhabited BY
Madanqs.

country. a hitherto unexplored dis
trict lying between the headwaters of
the Patang- Kayan, Rejang and Ba-
ram rivers. and Inhabited by the Ma
dangS. warlike tribe of Kenyahs
who by constant raids had become
the terror of all the surrounding
country.
After a journey through the most
picturesque country We arrived at
the principal Madang village" writes
Dr.. Hose in Travel and Exploration
This village. which contained about
1000 people. consisted of nine long
houses forming a circle the center of
which had been cleared of shrubs and
trees For considerable radius
outside this ring the jungle had been
felled and the land was farmed on
bounded by the river. The settle
ment. it was evident. had been laid
out on plan best calculated to resist
attack. The Madangs came down in
great numbers to have n look at us
and the chief, Tama Usum Tasi in
vited me to take up my residence in
his house.
My Kenyah friends had not ar
rived yet. but | thought it best to go
with him at once and afterward con-
graduated myself when | found that,
To D,,l, 4
his followers (being unable to enter
the house until all cases of blood
money between his people and the
MadangS had been settled) were
obliged to camp near the river for one
night. The Madangs assisted in
making huts for my followers, gave
them several pigs and sent down their
women laden with baskets of rice,
so no want of hospitality could be
said to mar our reception. In the
evening | took walk around the
village. followed by crowd of
women and children who appeared
greatly pleased to find that the white
man was able to converse with them.
Just across the river from where
we were sitting was the graveyard,
and there l witnessed a funeral pro-
cession as the day was drawing to a
close. The coffin, which was a
wooden box made from a tree trunk,
was decorated with red and black
patterns in circles. with two small
wooden figures of men placed at
either end; it was lashed with rat
tans to long pole and by this means
was lifted to the shoulders of the
bearers Numbering thirteen in alD,
who then carried it to the burying
ground.
after the mOurners had all passed
over to the graveyard a man quickly
cut a couple of small sticks, each
about five feet long and about an
inch i'm diameter. One of these he
split almost the whole way down and
forced the unspit end into the
ground, when the upper part opened
like a V, leaving sufficient room for
next split the top of the other stick,
and placing another short stick in
the cleft made a cross which he also
forced into the ground.
"The funeral procession climbed the
mound on which the cemetery was
situated. passing through the V Of
the cleft stick in single file. AS soon
as the coffin had been placed on the
stage erected for the purpose the peo-
pie commenced their return, following
ore anOthers heels as quickly as pos
sible, each splitting out the words, Pit
bali krat bali jat tesip be tatip' cKeep
back. close out all things evil and
sickmess!'D as they passed through
the V shaped stick.
The whole party having left the
graveyard, the gate was closed by the
simple process of tying the cleft ends
of the stick together and a few words
were then said to the cross stick
which rates call 'ngring' or the wall
that separates the living from the
dead. All who had taken part in the
ceremony then went and bathed be-
fore returning to their homes, rubbing
their skins with rough pebbles.
The Madangs are a very light
skinned people. with bright dark eyes
and perfectly straight. long black
hair. They are fairly tall for BorneO
natives and very muscular, clean and
free from skin diseases so common
among Dayaks, KayanS and Muruts
They are energetic and quick in their
movements. splendid bOatmen and
able to travel long distances i'm the
jungle on foot without apparently be-
coming much fatigued.
Their only garments consist of
coats and waiscoats made from the
bark Of a tree known as kumut, which
is beaten out to thin cloth with a
wooden mallet. The women also use
this dark cloth for their petticOats
and for the shawls in which they
wrap their babies. They live in much
the same manner as other kenyah
trbes-in long houses holding thirty
to fifty families in each house. Their
occupations include the cultivation of
extensive padi farms, of which they
plant sufficient for their wants.
THE Madangs are very musical
race and possess many musical in
struments Among these are sort
of reed organ, banjo. gongS and
drums. bamboo harp and a nose
flute. The nose flute is an inStru-
ment made of bamboo on which the
person plays not in the usual way
with the lips but with his nose. |
remember seeing on one occasion
man playing on this peculiar instru-
ment surrounded by an audience of
about forty persons. He assured me
that sometimes he was able to move
his audience to tears. rS."-EXchange.