The Holbrook news. (Holbrook, Navajo County [Ariz.]) 1909-1923, 1912-09-20
AEApHlW7ERa 49, AOMsE :

| bespeaks the ,peaceable nature Of the
Dyak in home life.
Without Social Laws.
These strange people, without so
cial laws, written language, creed or
education, are happy, honest and pay
their debts faithfully. Moreover, they
have none of the diseases common to
civilization. Fever, dysentery. oph-
thalmia "a disease of the eye), and
ichthyosis, which causes a cracking
of the skin, are the most common all
ments. Insanity is rare.
Dyak customs prohibit consanguin-
eous marriages, even the marriage OF
cousins constituting a rank offense.
Marriage ceremonies are simple and
devoid of solemn vows; the good faith
of each participant is the main con-
sideration. The ceremony merely
marks the beginning of the marital re-
lations. 1t may consist of shaking
fowl a certain number of times over
the heads of the pair to be wed; the
exchange Of bracelets in public, or the
eating of meal of rice and honey
by the bride and groom.
Girls marry at the age Of 16 and
are old women at 80. They are per
mitted to engineer their own matri-
monial schemes, choosing their own
partners. Separations, to which both
are opposed, sometimes take place
after marriage in obedience to GER
tain recognized signs, such as the
bark of deer, which foretells the
death of one of the parties If they
do not separate.
In warfare the shield and spear are
used, as is the sampitan, or blow-pipe,
and arrow, which is likewise of value
in the chase. For head-hunting is
provided a heavy, razor-edge sword.
There is also quite an assortment OF
smaller-bladed implements for pur>
poses Of labor and conflict.
Certain tribes engage in agriculture,
using a crude, wooden pillow and har-
row. Others smelt iron ore, use a
forge and bellows. manufacture ex-
ceedingly fine blades, their weapons
bearing strange decorations.
Taking him as whole the Dyak Is
not an industrious fellow. Here,
within his reach, are vast fortunes OF
gold, platinum, quicksilver, copper.
tin, iron, marble, coal, sulphur, salt,
as well as diamonds and other pre-
cious stones. Being quite contented
with his present lot, however, wealth
means nothing to the native. His sus-
tenance is found in rice, fowls and
fruit grown by himself, and in wild
animals slain in the forests. His
needs are few and easily met
Vegetation affords another excellent
field of endeavor which awaits the en-
ergies of a more progressive race
Sugar tobacco, pepper and cotton
grow in profusion, while in. the dense
forests are the tremendous tappan,
the ironwood, palm, cocoanut and
other tropical growths.
Borneo is the home of the Urang-
a beast of strength and intel
everything in the insect family that
has the power to annoy. In fact, the
swarms of biting and singing flies
and ants are an impeachment to the de-
of civilized life. The car
nivora of the island are not great or
and the most common kinds
are the Malay bear, panther and
smaller felines, wild swine and deer.
There are no traces of the elephant
Dr. tiger. The flying lemur, flying
giboon. argus pheasant, yellow-neck
1ornbill, the Dyak omen bird, which
nuSt not be slain, and the tarsier, a
that jumps like a kangaroo,
are all peculiar to this region.