Through Central Borneo An Account Of Two Years' Travel In The Land Of The Head-Hunters Between The Years 1913 And 1917 By Carl Lumholtz
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A Gigantic White Rat, About The Size Of A Rabbit,
Which Had Been Caught Working Havoc With The Pineapples, Was Offered Me
For Sale Alive.
I afterward regretted that, owing to the great difficulty
of transportation, I declined, as no doubt it was a rare, if not a new,
species.
In the evening, on my return to Long Pangian, I went to bed in the old
pasang-grahan which I occupied there. It consisted of a single large room
and had an air of security, so for once I omitted to tuck the mosquito-net
underneath me. But this was a mistake, for some animal bit me, and I was
awakened by an intense pain on the left side of my head which became
almost unbearable, then gradually subsided, and in two hours I slept
again. I applied nothing to the affected area because of the impossibility
of locating the bite. On the left side of my neck at the back soon
developed two balls of moderate size which had not quite disappeared four
years afterward. Next day I found a large dark-coloured spider which no
doubt was the culprit. When chased it made long high jumps on the floor,
but was finally captured. After that occurrence I paid strict attention to
the mosquito-net, and when properly settled in my bed for the night I felt
as safe against snakes or harmful smaller animals as if I were in a hotel
in Europe.
CHAPTER VII
ON THE ISAU RIVER - A KENYAH CHILD'S FUNERAL - A GREAT FISHING EXPEDITION -
CATCHING FISH BY POISONING THE RIVER - TAKING OMENS - ENTERTAINING SCENES
A report came to me that the people of kampong Long Isau (Long = sound;
Isau = a kind of fruit) were making preparations to catch fish by
poisoning the river, and that they were going immediately to build traps
in which the stupefied fish are caught.
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