Evening star., 1925-04-24
PRIESTS AID WAR
ON HEAD HUNTING
Cooperate With Govern
mentS in Effort to Danish
Savage Custom in Borneo.

In diScouraging the savage custom
of head hunting in Borneo, the Dutch
and British rulers of the country now
have the powerful cooperation of
native priests or medicine men," ac-
cording to late report, which states
that at an assembly of thousands of
the natives, or DyakS, a terrible curse
was pronounced by the head priest
on all who revive tribal quarrels
The curious custom of head hunt
ing has been in existence in MANY
of the islands of the East Indies for
ages says a bulletin from the Wash
ington headquarters of the National
Geographic Society. ut is not con-
fined to any one people. but is prac-
ticed by the Dyaks in Borneo, other
Malays in the smaller islands and by
the NeGroid Melanesians in New
Guinea. Human heads are the most
highly priced possessions of the head
hunters, and the women of the tribes
help to perpetuate the custom by
favoring the young men who collect
the most grim trophies.
Braves Often i'm Conflict.
Not only are the heads of enemies
obtained in ma jor warfare, but the
young braves of one village will often
attack a neighboring village merely
for the purpose of obtaining heads.
The heads are preserved and dried and
hung over the owners fireplace. the
collections being handed down from
father to son.
Under British and Dutch rule
many of the Dyaks of Borneo have
become peaceable farmers. This is
especially true along the coasts and
near the navigable rivers. But from
time to time the more savage natives
of the interior revert to head hunting,
and they have found the semi-civilized
agricultural natives a source for
heads. 1t is to protect this farming
people and to extend civilization more
widely through the island that the
aid of the medicine men has been
enlisted.
Long Houses" as Habitations.
1.-The Dyaks live in long houses
each of which shelters many families
and is in effect a village in itself.
Some of the horizontal ridge poles of
these structures, raised 80 or 40 feet
in the air, extend for several hundred
feet. From the ridge poles the thatch-
ed roof sweeps down at steep angle
to within six or eight feet of the
ground. This is the floor level, the
houses being constructed on a plat
form supported by piles. Outside the
roof is an open Veranda, an uncovered
extension of the floor platform. Under
the roof on one side of the center is
an inclosed veranda extending the full
length of the communal house. On
the other side of the center the space
is divided by partitions into rooms for
the various families. In the inclosed
Veranda, outside the rooms, are the
individual fireplaces over which the
treasured head-rackS are placed.
THE Dyak men are smaller than
the average WeSterner, well proper
toned. and of a type adapted for ac-
tiVity, speed and endurance, which are
valuable qualities in jungle in
habitantS. The women affect a queer
method of adornment, wrapping them
selves in brass corSetS made of
numerous hoops of cane covered with
brass rings. These metal garments
cover their bodies from just below the
hip line, and even below. Heavy neck
laces and ear pendants are also worn.
and the costume is completed by
length of cloth folded around to form
short skirt
Among Worlds Largest Islands.
"Borneo is the second largest island
in the world outside the polar regions,
having an area of about 290, 900 square
miles-approximate that of Texas
and West Virginia combined. OF this
area the Netherlands owns more than
200 900 square miles; the remainder is
controlled by Great Britain under
three Jurisdictions = British North
Borneo, Brunei Tor Borneo) and
Sarawak. The latter has a romantic
history. For three generations it has
been ruled by white rajahs,' members
of a British family named Brooks,
who are the hereditary rajahs.
"Borneo is almost completely COW
cred by a thick blanket of tropical
verdure-valleys, hills and mountains
alike. The density of the tangled
Der green's and browns. The color,
mass of vegetation is equaled, prob
ably, only in parts of the valley of
Enormous forest trees grow close
together, their tops interlacing and
shutting out the sunlight. Smaller
trees push far up, fighting for place
in the sun, while vines wrap them
selves about the trunks and ferns fill
the remaining space.
"Where clearingS have been made
Rorneos soil is highly productive.
Coffee, cotton, rice, sugar cane, to-
bacco and numerous fruits are among
the cultivated crops, while forest and
orchard products include rubber, gutta
percha spices, Camphor, nuts and
sago. Rich deposits of valuable metal
lie ores, minerals. petroleum and pre-
cious stones have hardly been
scratched"