Ran away from the Dutch

by M. T. H. Perelaer

Disgusted at this scene the two Europeans sped away from the horrible tragedy and looked for Johannes. He too, upon hearing the firing, had gone to that part of the fort whence it had proceeded; but seeing that everybody was at his post, that the whole male population was under arms, he and Dalim had returned to the riverside.

The shapeless object came nearer and nearer, until they could distinctly discern that it was constructed of recently cut branches interwoven with long grass. Although the tide made for the opposite bank, the island seemed as if steered by a human hand. When it entered the circle which had been laid bare around the fortification it became distinctly visible in the moonlight. Johannes [[212]]now fancied that he could discern something moving behind that floating mass and had already shouldered his gun when a voice was heard coming from the surface of the water.

“Ohoi! Amai Kotong.”

“Who are you?” cried Dalim loudly.

“Somebody from soengei Mawat. I bear a message from the people over there.”

The island in the meantime had floated to the front of the kotta, a narrow piece of water only separating it from the shore. Johannes and his men were lying stretched out on the bank, guns in hand, prepared for all emergencies. A native now appeared above the island, jumped into the water, and was proceeding to swim ashore when suddenly a shot sounded, followed by a loud shriek from the swimmer. The Colonel had also been watching the floating island, and upon seeing the native take to the water fired this shot after him. Before he could reload Dalim sprang into the river and seized the native, who but for his assistance would have sunk. He struck out for the shore supporting the wounded man and succeeded in bringing him inside the fort.

Alas! the poor messenger had received a fatal wound in his chest. He gave his message that the warriors of soengei Mawat, numbering about fifty men, had arrived and were posted in the forest to the north of the kotta, with the intention of attacking the besiegers that night.

This information given, the poor fellow expired.

The first act of the Dayaks of kotta Djangkan was to discharge their duty to their deceased brother. The body was dressed in a new suit of clothes and laid out on the floor of one of the dwellings [[213]]of the kotta, on a handsomely flowered mat. A burning lamp was placed at his head, and the corpses of the four fallen enemies were ranged round him, their dissevered heads being placed upon the chests of the bodies to which they respectively belonged. Each had his talawang or shield in one hand and his mandauw in the other. The Dayaks believed that by this arrangement the souls of the beheaded enemies would be compelled to recognize the deceased Mawat as their lord in the Dayak heaven and there become his slaves. The titih now sounded the funeral knell, to be kept up during the whole of that night.

When daylight began to appear the toending was commenced. This consisted in gilding the nails of the hands and feet of the defunct and in painting seven red spots on his forehead. He was then placed in the coffin, and as he was known to have been a man of undaunted courage and had fallen like a warrior, they also placed his weapons beside him.