Through Central Borneo; an Account of Two Years' Travel in the Land of Head-Hunters Between the Years 1913 and 1917

Carl Lumholtz

Description

Ever since my camping life with the aborigines of Queensland, many years ago, it has been my desire to explore New Guinea, the promised land of all who are fond of nature and ambitious to discover fresh secrets. In furtherance of this purpose their Majesties, the King and Queen of Norway, the Norwegian Geographical Society, the Royal Geographical Society of London, and Koninklijk Nederlandsch Aardrijkskundig Genootschap, generously assisted me with grants, thus facilitating my efforts to raise the necessary funds. Subscriptions were received in Norway, also from American and English friends, and after purchasing the principal part of my outfit in London, I departed for New York in the autumn of 1913, en route for the Dutch Indies. In 1914, having first paid a visit to the Bulungan, in northeast Borneo, in order to engage the necessary Dayaks, I was preparing to start for Dutch New Guinea when the war broke out.

Informations

• Publié par: Pub One Info
• Date de parution: 23 octobre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9782819909309
• Langue: English

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PREFACE
E ver since mycamping life with the aborigines of Queensland, many years ago, ithas been my desire to explore New Guinea, the promised land of allwho are fond of nature and ambitious to discover fresh secrets. Infurtherance of this purpose their Majesties, the King and Queen ofNorway, the Norwegian Geographical Society, the Royal GeographicalSociety of London, and Koninklijk Nederlandsch AardrijkskundigGenootschap, generously assisted me with grants, thus facilitatingmy efforts to raise the necessary funds. Subscriptions werereceived in Norway, also from American and English friends, andafter purchasing the principal part of my outfit in London, Ideparted for New York in the autumn of 1913, en route for the DutchIndies. In 1914, having first paid a visit to the Bulungan, innortheast Borneo, in order to engage the necessary Dayaks, I waspreparing to start for Dutch New Guinea when the war broke out.
Under these changed conditions his Excellency, theGovernor-General, A.W.F. Idenburg, regretted his inability to giveme a military escort and other assistance needed for carrying outmy plan, and advised me to await a more favorable opportunity.During this interval, having meanwhile visited India, I decided tomake an expedition through Central Borneo, large tracts of whichare unexplored and unknown to the outside world. My project waslater extended to include other regions of Dutch Borneo, and thegreater part of two years was spent in making researches among itsvery interesting natives. In these undertakings I received thevaluable assistance of their Excellencies, the governor-general andthe commanding general, as well as the higher officials of theDutch Government, to all of whom I wish to express my heartfeltthanks.
Through the courtesy of the well-known TopografischeInrichting, in Batavia, a competent surveyor, whose work will laterbe published, was attached to my expeditions. He did not accompanyme on my first visit to the Bulungan, nor on the second occasion,when I went to the lake of Sembulo, where the country is wellknown. In the map included in this book I have indicated thelocations of the different tribes in Dutch Borneo, based oninformation gathered from official and private sources and on myown observations.
I usually had a taxidermist, first a trained SarawakDayak, later a Javanese, to collect mammals and birds. Fishes andreptiles were also preserved in alcohol.
Specimens of ethnological interest were collectedfrom the different tribes visited; the collection from thePenihings I believe is complete. Measurements of 227 individualswere taken and as soon as practicable will be worked out by DoctorK.S. Schreiner, professor at the University of Christiania.Vocabularies were collected from most of the tribes. In spite ofadverse conditions, due to climate and the limitations under whichI travelled, a satisfactory collection of photographic plates andfilms was brought back. With few exceptions, these photographs weretaken by myself. For the pictures facing page 26 I am indebted toDoctor J.C. Koningsberger, President of the Volksraad, Buitenzorg,Java. Those facing pages 16 and 17 were taken by Mr. J.F. Labohm.The lower picture facing page 286 was taken by Mr. A.M.Erskine.
My observations on the tribes are recorded inconformity with my itinerary, and include the Kayans, Kenyahs,Murungs, Penyahbongs, Saputans, the nomadic Punans and Bukits,Penihings, Oma-Sulings, Long-Glats, Katingans, Duhoi (Ot-Danums),and the Tamoans. On one or two occasions when gatheringintelligence from natives I was very fortunate in my informants –an advantage which will be appreciated by any one who hasundertaken a similar errand and has enjoyed the keen satisfactionexperienced when drawing the veil from primitive thought which liesso near and yet so far away.
Circumstances naturally prevented me from making athorough study of any tribe, but I indulge the hope that thematerial here presented may prove in some degree acceptable to thespecialist as well as to the general reader. Matter that wasthought to be of purely anthropological interest is presented in aspecial supplement. Above all, I have abstained from generalities,to which one might be tempted on account of the many similaritiesencountered in the tribes that were visited. Without the light ofexperience it is impossible to imagine how much of interest anddelight there is in store for the student of man's primitivecondition. However, as the captain of Long Iram said to me in LongPahangei, "One must have plenty of time to travel in Borneo." Ihave pleasure in recording here the judicious manner in which theDutch authorities deal with the natives.
On a future occasion I shall hope to be able topublish a detailed report on several of the novel features of myBornean collections, especially as regards decorative art, theprotective wooden carvings called kapatongs, the flying boat,etc.
The first collections sent to Norway ran the risksincident to war. Most of them were rescued from the storehouses atAntwerp after the German occupation, through the exertions of theNorwegian Foreign Office, though a smaller part, chieflyzoölogical, appears to have been lost in Genoa. Count NilsGyldenstolpe, of the Natural History Museum, Vetenskapsakademien inStockholm, who is determining the mammals collected, informs methat so far a new species of flying maki and two new subspecies offlying squirrels have been described.
To further my enterprise, liberal gifts of supplieswere received from various firms in Christiania: preserved milkfrom Nestle & Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Co., tobacco fromTiedemann's Fabrik, alcohol for preserving specimens from LöitensBraenderi, cacao from Freia Chokolade Fabrik. A medical outfit waspresented by Mr. E. Sissener, Apotheket "Kronen," Christiania, andMessrs. Burrows, Wellcome & Co., of London, placed at mydisposal three of their excellent medicinal travelling-cases.
I want to express my appreciation of many servicesrendered by the Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij and its branches,especially the Factorij in Batavia. I am under similar obligationsto the Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij, and my thanks are alsodue to De Scheepsagentuur for courtesies received. Miss EthelNewcomb, of New York, has kindly transcribed the two songsrendered.
Finally I desire to make grateful acknowledgment ofvaluable assistance rendered by Doctor J.C. Koningsberger, and byDoctor W. van Bemmelen, director of Koninklijk Magnetisch enMeteorologisch Observatorium, Weltevreden, Batavia.
Although force of circumstances altered the scopeand to some extent the character of this expedition, neverthelessmy Bornean experiences afforded great satisfaction. Moreover, mysojourn in the equatorial regions of the East has imbued me with aneven stronger desire to carry out my original purpose, which I hopeto accomplish in the near future.
CARL LUMHOLTZ
NEW YORK, April, 1920.
Part of my provisions, at Bahandang, BusangRiver
D jobing, ourefficient Malay
Part of the expedition ascending the BusangRiver
T amaloë, a latelyformed Penyahbong kampong
Pisha, the good Penyahbong chief. Tamaloë
Penyahbong rhino hunters. Tamaloë
Penyahbong women. Tamaloë
Back view of the Penyahbong women, showing theirhead-dress
Penyahbong, front, side, and back view. Tamaloë
The Penyahbong war dance. Tamaloë
Saputan, on his way to the ladang (fields) and forthe hunt of Babi. Data Láong
Saputans, front and side views. Data Láong
Saputan, the kapala of Data Láong
Saputans showing their war prowess
Saputans poling. Data Láong
Piercing the ears of the Saputan chief in order toinsert a tiger cat's corner teeth. Data Láong
Mahakam River, westward view, from the author'stent, at Long Kai
Penihings, the kapala of Long Kai and hischildren
Bukat, at Long Kai, front, side, and back views
Bukatwomen, at Long Kai, front and side views
The Mélah ceremony for imparting health andstrength. Long Pahangei
Oma-Sulings. Long Pahangei
The Dángei hut, a temporary place of worship
The Rajá Besar, or great chief, and his wife. LongPahangei
Large wooden drum. Long Pahangei
Lidju, a Long-Glat noble, and his wife, the sisterof the Rajá Besar. Long Pahangei
Cooking rice in bamboo receptacles. LongPahangei
Lung Karang, a limestone hill, near Long Tjehan, onthe Mahakam River
Penihing burial cave, near the Tjehan River
Penihing women carrying water. Long Kai
Penihings, from Long Kai
Two young Penihings, caught unawares by my camera.Sungei Lobang
The durian tree, with fruit. Lulo Pakko, on theMerasi River
One of our Javanese soldiers, in undress, carryingtwo durians. Lulo Pakko, Merasi River
A ripe durian opened
Three Long-Glat women of the nobility. Long Tujo
Back view of the Long-Glat women
Long-Glat women. Long Tujo. Front view
Long-Glat women. Side and back views
Long-Glats, with a native dog. Long Tujo
A narrow-snouted crocodile shot by our sergeantbelow the great rapids of the Mahakam
Entrance to the cave of Kong Beng
Malays searching for diamonds at Martapura
Malay house, near Martapura
Malay house at Mandin
Bukit women. Mandin
Bukit at Lok Besar, front and back views
Bukit woman and her two sons. Lok Besar
Bukit women with their children. Lok Besar
The "Order" of Beraui, and his wife, both Duhoi.Beraui, on the Samba River
A Duhoi and his family. Beraui, Samba River
A bearded Dayak, front and side views
Upper Katingans passing the rapids of BuntutMangkikit
Upper Katingan women dancing. Buntut Mangkikit
Upper Katingan family, at Buntut Mangkikit
An upper Katingan, of Buntut Mangkikit. Front, side,and back views
Upper Katingan women at Buntut Mangkikit, front andside views
Samples of Dayak tatuing
Women beating small drums and singing. BuntutMangkikit
Protecting against evil spirits. Kasungan
Staffs, called pantars, erected in memoriam of thedead, at a kampong below Kuala Samba
A wealthy Katingan, at Kasungan
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