Seventeen years among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo; a ... - Sabrizain.org

SOCIAL LIFE 03
to buy it.
" " " " A and B seemed to be quite strangers
" " " '
to one another. A examined the jar B had
brought,
and then said :
" My jar is not a good one ; I
admit that. But this is a genuine old jar, and worth the
eighty dollars he asks for it. I have not got much money
but if anyone here will lend me the money, I am
with me ;
quite prepared to pay eighty dollars for it." As " A "
was well known, the headman of the house lent him the
sum of money he required to enable him to buy the jar.
The money was paid to " B," who went off. Then " A "
began to boast about his bargain ; he dwelt on all the
good points of the jar, and told the Dyaks that they were
very foolish to have let such a chance slip. He praised
the jar so much that the headman of the house said he
would buy it from him for the same price as he paid for
'
it. A " said he did not want to part with it, as it was
a genuine old jar, and honestly worth much more than he
gave for it. After some discussion " A " agreed to sell it
to the Dyak for one hundred dollars, and so he made a
profit of twenty dollars in a very short time.
It was found out afterwards that " B " was living with
' A "during his stay in Krian ! The
jar was considered
by experts to be a modern imitation and comparatively
worthless. When " A " was spoken to about the matter,
he persisted in saying that in his opinion the jar was a
genuine old one, but that he might be mistaken.
With regard to land, it has been the immemorial custom
of the Dyaks that when a person fells the virgin forest he
acquires by that act a perpetual title to the land. He may
sell it, lend it, let it, or leave it to his successor. The rent
he is supposed to demand for a piece of land large enough
to be farmed by one man is one dollar. If, however, he
is not paid in money, he may claim a game-cock, or two