THE SARAWAK SEA DAYAKS

By JACK SPARROW

TN England the term Dayak—given new familiarity by the recent I discussions on the Sarawak question—seems nowadays to be used to cover all the inhabitants of Borneo, other than the Chinese and Malays. In Borneo it has been customary to reserve the name for those tribes which call themselves either Dayak or Iban, or who are akin to the Iban. These people, according to Hose, numbered in 1926 about half a million, or one-sixth of the population of the island (other than Chinese and Malays). They are found chiefly in Sarawak and Dutch Borneo. In Sarawak they constitute the largest homogeneous section of the people, and are thought to be the last of the invading races to settle in that country. One theory is that they came from Sumatra, bringing with them the original language out of which Malay has developed. Anyone who has lived in Borneo knows that it is impossible to generalise when describing the inhabitants, and such description as is given in this article is drawn from the Sea Dayaks of the Saribas River in Sarawak. These people are short in stature, light brown in colour, very agile and alert in carriage and with facial features which range from almost Chinese to almost Malay. More virile than the Malay, they are less inclined to be " yes-men," a fact which has sometimes led people to describe them as truculent and proud. Anyone who noticed the Sarawak contin- gent in the Victory Parade will have a fair idea of them. With the exception of one Malay, one Chinese and one Indian, the whole party, including the two officers, were Dayaks, though not from the Saribas.

To the outside world their main interest seems still to be their connection with piracy and head-hunting, though they are removed from either by two generations, and their present occupations are rice-farming and rubber-gardening, with fishing and hunting as relaxations. Their country was formerly tropical jungle, but now large areas have been cleared for rice and rubber planting. There are no roads, but the river systems provide adequate highways. To those who live among them their main attraction is their social system, and the character which it has produced in them. The Brooke regime, which firmly closed the era of violence and blood- shed, has given these peoples long years of peace, during which they could reap the benefit of many good customs and ideas which they have. Their society is organised on a communal basis with the village, rather than the family, as the unit. Each village. of anything from ten to thirty families, lives a common life in one long house. In the main hall, which runs from end to end, they spend the main part of their indoor time, and on days of feasting the food is spread on mats here and all the men with their guests join in one great common meal. From one side of this hall open the separate rooms occupied by the families for sleeping and cooking, and also for eating on ordinary days. Each family is responsible for the building and upkeep of that part of the main hall which is opposite its room, and for the entertainment of any visitors who rest there.

The farm-land is owned by the house in common. Each year a meeting is held at which the people decide on the part of the land to be planted with rice. This stretch is then divided fairly between the various families. One head of a house I know is most careful to see that any family which has had a bad strip in the prev'ous year shall get a good strip in the next allotment. A widow with no grown-up sons will still receive her share, and the man's work in the farming season will be taken on for her by men from ether families, she in her turn repaying by helping with ,a woman's work on their land. (There is no coolie class among these Dayaks.

When coolie labour is essential, they usually employ Malays or Chinese temporarily.) if a newly-married couple set up as a separate family and build a new room on to the long house, they are provided for, not by a division of their parents' strips of land, but by the allotment of a fresh division in the village lands. But if a family leaves the house and joins another long house, it does not take with it any share in the land of its former home. It receives a share of the land belonging to the house to which it goes.

This communal system was modified by the introduction of rubber. By custom, although the land is common, any trees planted on it belong to the person who planted them, and are inherited by his family. So, when the idea of rubber-planting was first discussed most houses set aside from their common land an area suitable for rubber trees. This area was divided equally among the families who at that time formed the house. They planted the gardens which became their private property and have been inherited by theit children. As, however, the original divisions were more or less equal, there are still no violent contrasts of wealth and poverty among the families of the house. Briefly, the Dayak system may be described as common ownership of the resources of livelihood, with private or family ownership of the results of one's labours. This system has meant that unless a man is lazy he cannot fall far below the level of his neighbours. Consequently there is an absence of motive for stealing, and the Dayaks have indeed a high standard of honesty and truthfulness. 'Stealing is not necessary among a people whose custom forbids -them to refuse the loan of the imple- ments and utensils they possess ; and a people who live their private lives in public must be truthful, even if only because it is so difficult to get away with a lie.

The good qualities of character produced by this type of life are to some extent strengthened by the Dayaks' religious beliefs. Those of them who are not Christians have nevertheless a vague belief in a god (or gods), Petara, who is the creator and preserver of men and who demands a certain moral standard : " Hear my teaching ye sons of men.

When you farm, be industrious in work, When you sleep, do not be overmuch slaves of the eyes. When people assemble, do not forget to ask the news.

Do not quarrel with others. Do not give your friends bad names.

Corrupt speech do not utter. Do not be envious of one another.

And you will all alike get padi, All alike be clean of heart, All alike be clever of speech."

And again the god teaches them :

Spread a mat for the traveller.

Be quick in giving rice to the hungry.

Do not be slow to give water to the thirsty.

Joke with those who have heaviness of heart.

Encourage with talk the slow of speech.

Do not give the fingers to stealing.

Do not allow the heart to be bad.*

But between this rather vague Petara and mankind are hosts of spirits (antus), good and evil. The evil ones seem to be the more active, and for most non-Christian Dayaks the practice of religion consists', not in the worship of the Petara, but in the offering of sacrifices and observance of taboos to ward off the evil spirits.

The life of the house is regulated by the aunt, or meeting, of the heads of the families. This is presided over by the headman or elder who is chosen by the people, the choice being confirmed by the government. The houses of each river are grouped under a pengulu, who is appointed and paid by the government. Prior to the 1840's the Sultans of Brunei claimed the over-lordship of the Dayaks. In practice the Saribas Dayaks ignored him, and were an independent people led by their own chiefs. In alliance with the local Malays they were among the most troublesome of the pirates infesting the coast of Borneo. In 1853 Sir James Brooke, who was already Rajah of Sarawak proper, obtained from the Sultan of Brunei the cession of the Saribas and neighbouring rivers. The Dayaks, however, gave their loyalty to him, not because of this cession, but because he beat them in warfare and then treated them with great generosity and complete faithfulness.

* Perham's translations given in the Straits Asiatic Journal. Since then, thanks in part to the inclusion of Western commercial exploitation the Dayak social system has been able not merely to survive ,abut to develop along the lines of its natural evolu- tion, and the Sea Dayak population has consequently rapidly in- creased. Large families are popular. My churchwarden and his wife had 12 children who all grew to maturity, and their eldest daughter has already produced 13, all of whom are flourishing. So long as their social system continues as. it is at present, the Dayaks will probably continue to increase. Children are a source of wealth. To a farming community, which fare sits own land without hired labour, grown sons and daughters mean larger farms and bigger harvests. Childless couples invariably adopt one or two children, as a provision for their old age, and in order that the family room may continue. In this century the race has been spreading further north in Sarawak. Many of the men have found employment in Government service as clerks, dressers and police, not only in their own State but also in British North Borneo. Others have gone to the oilfields or to Singapore and Malaya. At present the Sea Dayaks are a young but vigorous race. If they are allowed to con- tinue to develop along their own lines, they can become one of the best races of the East Indies.