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National Geographic : 1919 Feb
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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE pests, the sand-fly, like our minges, were lacking. It rained all night, the river rising about three feet; but the dawn came clear, en abling us to get break fast and proceed in comfort. Less than an hour's paddling brought us to the large Kayan house of Tama Ding-a quiet, pleas ant old man, who, I was sorry to learn, died a few months after my visit. MINISTERING TO TAT TOO VICTIMS I found several peo ple ill of fever, doubt less following the end of the rainy season, and I dispensed quan tities of quinine pills, of which one must al ways take a large sup ply for the natives. Many of the young girls had recently had their legs tattooed in a fine lace design, which gives the ap pearance at a distance of dark stockings; the Kayans are skillful in MIGI, A HANDSOME DAYAK YOUTH, WHO WAS ONE OF THE this art, but the flesh PARTY OF SEVEN ON THE TRIP TO MT. MULU had swollen and my store of vaseline was "Migi was a companionable, good-natured little fellow, with velvety brown skin, a laughing face, and boyish figure-a constant stimulus much in demand. to the good spirits of the party" (see text, page 142). One girl came to me with an arm badly swollen to the a little vaseline on the tiny cut, express shoulder, clearly the result of infection. ing the belief that the arm would prob To my question if she had cut her finger, ablybewellintendaysorso. Itwasa she first denied it, thinking it not worth very safe guess, for it is surprising from mentioning, but finally acknowledged that what wounds and infections these people she had done so, when I asked the reason can recover with no treatment whatever, for the piece of rag tied about it. She while, on the other hand, a white man showed great amazement at my unac- will find that insect bites and cuts become countable knowledge, when I remarked infected and make bad sores unless anti that she had probably been cleaning a septic precautions are continually em fish when she cut her finger. ployed. As there was nothing, of course, that I When, a week later, I called at Tama could do, I contented myself with putting Ding's house on my way down river, I 143
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