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The Murut languages again seem to stand apart from the Iban, Kayan, and Kenyah-Klemantan, as a distinct group whose vocabulary has little in common with those others.
They are not tattooed, always use the sumpitan, and have a peculiar dialect. In the same locality, and resembling the Murut, are some tribes called the Basaya. 3d. They are, however, an industrious, peaceful people, who cultivate the ground in the vicinity of Borneo Proper, and nearly as far as Tanjong Barram.
We add an alphabetical list of some of the words which have occurred in the preceding pages. Arafuras, or Haraforas, natives of Papua. Balanian, wild tribes in Borneo. Bandar, or Bandhara, treasurer, high steward, high officer of state. Basaya, tribes in the interior of Borneo Proper, locating near and resembling the Murut. Borneo, the island of, written "Bruni" by the inhabitants.
It is probable that many of the tribes which we have classed with the Muruts, on account of their possession of the Murut culture, are, like the Klemantans and Kenyahs, descendants of the ancient Indonesian population who have adopted the culture of more advanced immigrants.
It may further be remarked, that their probable immigration from Celebes is supported by the statement of the Millanows, that the Murut and Dyak give place to the Kayan whenever they come in contact, and that the latter people have depopulated large tracts in the interior, which were once occupied by the former.
Millanows, a tribe resembling the Kayans, living near the river Meri, river Bentulu, tolerably civilized, and fairer than the Malays. Minkokas, a wild tribe near the Bay of Boni. Morotaba river, one of the mouths of the Sarawak. Montrado, a very large and populous Chinese settlement near Point Data. Murut, inhabitants of the interior of Borneo Proper. Natunas, islands off Borneo.
The Dusun, or villagers of the northern extremity of the island, are a race of which Mr. Brooke knows nothing personally; but the name implies that they are an agricultural people: they are represented as not being tattooed, as using the sumpitan, and as having a peculiar dialect. 2d. The Murut. They inhabit the interior of Borneo Proper.
We believe, however, that the divisions marked by the six names we have used, namely, Kayan, Kenyah, Klemantan, Murut, Punan, and Iban, are true or natural divisions; and that the intermediate forms are due, on the one hand, to crossing through intermarriage, which takes place continually in some degree, and, on the other hand, to the adoption of the customs and beliefs and traditions and to the imitation of the arts and crafts of one natural group by communities properly belonging to a different group.
In the afternoon we reached the end of the last channel, called the Murut Ipucu, which runs for several miles between two unbroken lines of fan-leaved palms, forming colossal palisades with their straight stems . On rounding a point of land, we came in full view of the Tocantins. The event was announced by one of our Indians, who was on the lookout at the prow, shouting: "La esta o Parana-uassu!"
COOK and I visited the Lawas River for sport, and took up our abode in a Murut long house, where, I remember, a large basket of skulls was placed as an ornament at the head of my sleeping place.
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