until he had taken the head of an enemy, and if any ill-
luck or death occurred in the tribe these head-hunting
raids were indulged in at once to appease the malignant
spirits which were believed to have been the cause; or if
a chief’s favourite wife or child died, he at once took to
head-hunting in a bloodthirsty spirit of revenge.
The desire to shed blood seems inherent in all savage
natures, and is adhered to tenaciously even after civilisation
has reached them, and so it happens that human
heads or skulls are considered the most valuable property
of these wild Borneans, just as the Sioux and other
Indians of North America still attach a peculiar value to
the scalp locks of their foes. Even although headhunting
is gradually becoming a thing of the past in
Borneo, still so highly are the old skulls valued even by
the now peaceable tribes who have not taken a head for
years, that they can rarely be induced to part with them,
no matter how much may be offered in exchange. In
several Murut houses I visited near the Lawas large
baskets full of human crania were preserved as trophies
of the prowess of the tribe.
It is very rare that anything like general open fighting
now takes place between the native tribes, as was formerly
the case, when a party of fighting men would, after
marching at night only through the forests for days
together, steal up to the house of their foes just before
daylight and endeavour to set fire to it, after which the
place was surrounded and the men killed as they attempted
to escape, the women and children being made
prisoners and carried off as additions to the wealth of the
victors. Sometimes, however, the besieged were too
wary for their foes, and either boldly rushed out and
drove them off with loss, or formed ambuscades, into
which they unwittingly fell and were annihilated, or
perhaps a few would break through and escape to tell the
tale. In this way a good many heads and slaves were
obtained, but at present the additions to the baskets are
more rare, and principally obtained by stealthy murders
rather than in warfare. The Muruts and other aboriginals
are great believers in omens, and whether on head hunting
or pig-killing expeditions they pay great regard
to the cries of birds and animals; and if they meet an
alligator or a snake, they at once return and wait for a
more propitious season.
In travelling with these natives as guides, their careful
attention to omens becomes exceedingly trying to one’s
temper, as they will stop immediately if the omens seen
or heard be not good ones, and if anything more than
•ordinary duties are required of them it is astonishing
how soon a bad omen will put an end to all further
progress for the day. One place where I stayed for
several weeks was within half a mile of a large Murut
house, and their gongs could be heard very plainly sometimes
all night when they were feasting and drinking a
peculiar spirit, which is made of rice and tampoe fruit
mixed with water and strained off for use after fermentation.
These feasts seemed to be held on the occasion of
any good fortune befalling the tribe, such as success in
hunting pigs or deer. One night they were gong-beating
and shouting louder than usual. I asked the native in
whose house I slept the reason of this, and he told me
that they had been out head-hunting for a fortnight, but
had failed to pounce upon any Murut of another tribe;
so to end the suspense they had seized one of their own
slaves, who had in some way offended them, and had
made a scapegoat of him. I visited this house some
days afterwards, and smoked a “ roko ” with the “ Orang
Capella,” or chief, while three of his lusty followers kept