Pioneering in - Far Eastern Bible College

dark and damp jungles. Then comes tuberculosis which catches oneasily through lack of temperance in eating, working and sex andof quarantine. Thus the mountain districts have become a sickcolony.Another disease to be mentioned is of the sexual kind.Though prostitution is a word not known in their vocabulary,adultery and fornication is a rampant practice. Without instructionand education they regard intercourse between the sexes a verynatural thing. Hence, marriage and divorce are easily contractedand given. “Borrowing mosquito-net,” i.e., the practice of takinganother man’s wife (for a night) is an open secret among them.And those husbands willing to “wear the green towel,” i.e.condone their wives’ adultery, have acquiesced for the sake ofgetting “cheap sale goods” (bastards). In a certain mountain tribethere is the practice of the girls wearing silver or bronze ear-rings.Do not think that is merely a kind of ornament. The fact is thenumber of rings worn indicate the number of times they aremarried. The more ear-rings indicate the more lovers they have,which is regarded a high honour. Never have they thought of suchvainglory as a shame and sin. Though there are the good and ableamongst the Dyaks, such an erroneous and unethical concept oflife without proper correction has led them more and more intowrong. But the reason for such depravity is not due merely to lackof education. There is yet another reason to be considered. Thisparadise country in which they live in the South Seas, being in thetropics, is under a perpetual summer. Without conditioning by thewinter season, life can be miserably monotonous. When we seethem eat chillies we notice that they need something to pep uptheir humdrum 1iving. Now, with an abundance of produce offood and many hours of leisure does not this situation give placeto sinful indulgence? Truly, the saying, “A full stomach breedslustful desires”, applies.100