The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1914-03-05
Tell the Truth and Build Monu-
ments to Liars.
But Have No Idea of Clear Thinking;
Logic Finds No Place in Their
Brairo; Bravery Is Consider
co Highest of Virtues.

The Sea Dyak, that strange race
found In the Island of Borneo, has no
idea of clear thinking; logic finds no
place In his brain, and the most con-
Trajectory opinions seem TO dwell to-
gether in perfect harmony in the tur-
bid streaTa of his mind. The liver,
strange to relate, is regarded by the
Dyak as the seat of various praise
worthy qualities and emotions. Bra
very is considered the highest of vir-
tues, and when they wish to describe
the greatest courage of a man they
say he has brave liver" Intelli-
gence also resides in the liver, and a
man OF knowledge is one possessing
an enlightened liver" Kindness Is
the quality of the man who has a
large liver" and perseverance that
of one who has hard liver" A
weak, undecided man is spoken OF as
one who had soft liver
The Dyak Is truthful and honest.
and these qualities are rather unusu-
ten away from their homes for weeks
at time, living in little huts on their
farm, and though nc one is left in
charge Of their rooms in the long vii
lage house in the jungle, things are
seldom lost.
After an experience of nearly twenty
years in Borneo, writer states that
he knew of only two instances of theft.
One was the theft of rice. The WON
an who lost the rice most solemnly
and publicly cursed the thief, whoever
It might be. The next night the rice
was left at her door. The other was
a theft of money. In this case, too,
the thief was cursed. The greater
part of the money was afterward re.
turned to the box from which 1t had
been abstracted. Both these Incl.
dents show the great dread which the
Dyaks have of a curse. Even an un,
deserved curse Is considered terri.
BILE thing, and, according to Dyak law,
to curse a person for no reason at
all is Enable offense.
As regards their truthfulness, 1t Is
said of the Dyaks that so disgraceful
ers by an untruth, that such conduct
is handed down to posterity by Gu
rious custom. They heap up pile
OF branches of trees in memory OF the
man who has uttered a great lie, so
that future generations may know of
his wickedness and take warning from
It, The persons deceived start the
tugong bula-"the liars monument" -
by heaping up a large number OF
branches in some conspicuous spot by
the side of the path leading from one
village to another. Every passerby
contributes to it. and at the same time
curses the man In memory of whom it
is
The Dyaks consider the adding to
any tugong bula they may pass a sa-
cred duty, the omission of which will
meet with supernatural punishment,
and so, however pressed for time a
Dyak may be, he stops to throw on the
pile, some branch or twig. Believing,
as the Dyaks do, in the efficacy of cur
ses, it is easy to understand how a
Dyak would dread the accumulation
of curses that would necessarily ac-
company the formation of tuSong
bula.
From an eastern point of view, the
morals of the Dyaks are good. d.
vorce is very uncommon after the
birth of child, but where there are
no children, for such reasons as in
compatibility of temper or idleness,
divorce is obtainable by either hus-
band or wife on payment of small
fino