Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Dayak carry a heavy Englishman down the steep hills; and when one of their companions is severely wounded, they bear him home, whatever may be the distance. They exercise a great deal from boyhood in wrestling, swimming, running and sham-fighting."
Stephanie Morgan states that "among some groups competing for land, there had evolved a relatively symbolic kind of combat called Bepalu, using clubs instead of iron, which were ostensibly intended to kill, and are excellent jumpers.
"When a little more civilized, they would make good soldiers, being brave in nature. They are, however, short- a man of five feet five inches high would be considered tall, and the average is about five feet three inches."
Stamping Out Crime
James Brooke realized that in order to control Sarawak, he had to stamp out crime and especially headhunting, which was not only instilling fear amongst the various tribes, but also disreputable to his nation in Borneo. Brooke took advantage of the fact the Than, who lived in watersheds that divided one river system from the other, were always at odds with each other.
"Rivers have traditionally played a central role in everyday life and in the past they provided the chief lines of communication and travel between Than settlements. Locally, even today, people identify themselves with the river they live, most often describing themselves, for example, as Kami Sarihas -we are from the Saribas (River) or Kami Skrang.
In the past, such groups formed the maximal units of warring alliance and defense" (SMJ, Special Monograph No.7, 1994; 26).
At the height of Brooke's rule, the more aggressive Saribas and Skrangs dominated their neighbours, causing them much misery and hardship and in a short period of time, the Saribas-Skrang Dayaks had become the most powerful Than group. Brooke found an ally in the Balau tribe, who, as sworn enemies of the Skrangs and Saribas, were prepared to join forces with him.
Many of the latter groups had been forced to retreat downriver to Batang Lupar and Sebuyau, where, a few leaders who wanted to get as far away as possible from their enemies, moved closer to the administrative centre to seek protection under the Brunei envoy, Muda Hassim. Groups of persecuted Balau settled along the way at Sadong and Samarahan rivers on the periphery of Kuching.
