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

THE DVAK CHARACTER 71
one family is very great. Especially is this the case
and children. An old father or mother
between parents
need never work unless they like. Their children will
provide for them.
Parents will risk their lives for their children. At
Semulong, near Banting, a man and his son, a youth about
twenty years old, were returning from their farm, and
had just arrived at the landing-place. The father stepped
out of the canoe, washed his feet on the river-bank, and
then turned to speak to his son in the boat. But the
son had disappeared. The father at once guessed that
a crocodile had taken him, though he had heard no noise.
He shouted for help from the village house, and at once
jumped into the water. He dived, and felt his hand
strike the crocodile. Drawing his short sword (duku),
he attacked the animal. He managed to drive the point
of his sword into the animal, when the beast let go his
son. The father brought him at once to the nearest
mission-station, where he was treated, but after ten days
died of tetanus. The inner part of the thigh and knee
of one leg was torn away, so as to expose the ragged ends
of sinews under the knee.