Free Indonesian Gold by Kerry B. Collison Page A

previously attended a funeral. Elders, the

village council and even his family were filled with awe when, suddenly, Jonathan extended his

small hands sky-wards and became still, a loving smile settling across his lips as a black

hornbill swooped down under the thatched shelter and landed, ominously, at the dead girl’s feet.

Moments passed, the stunned villagers gripped in awe as Jonathan’s hand moved slowly towards the

bird and stroked it ever so gently, before it took flight, carrying, they all believed, the

deceased’s soul away. From that moment, Jonathan’s father commenced instructing his son in the

ways of the ‘good’ or ‘white’ dukun, revealing the secrets that were passed down to

him.
    As the most important function of the ‘white’ shaman is

healing, Jonathan remained at his father’s side when he ministered to the sick; accompanying his

father into the jungle in search of ingredients required for potions and cures, becoming the

chief’s small, but dedicated shadow. He observed, as nature surrendered her secrets during those

excursions and listened, intently, whenever his father explained the magic of each wild herb he’d

gathered, or the medicinal value of specific plants, roots and even wild, river lilies. He

watched his father prepare salves, cast spells and exorcise the possessed; memorizing the

appropriate chants, whilst remaining obediently solemn, or sitting in awe as his father described

the techniques used by the ‘black’ or ‘evil’ dukuns .
    Jonathan Dau learned that it would not be wise to

underestimate the power of the much-sought-after ‘black’ dukuns, who for a fee, would cast

spells and provide potions mixed with dried, menstrual blood or ear wax for the scorned and

lovelorn, poisons for the covetous and ambitious and curses for any occasion.
    ****
    Jonathan’s father had wisely determined that his gifted

and only child would receive an outside education. In 1949 when news that the great Dayak nation had been absorbed into what was to be known as the Republic of Indonesia, Jonathan was

transported, first by canoe, then diesel-driven riverboat to the river-port township of Samarinda

where he was placed in the care of a Chinese family. Before the age of ten, Jonathan Dau was

fluent in not only his own dialect, but could converse fluently in Malay-Indonesian and

comprehend most of what transpired within the Chinese household. An avid reader by twelve,

Jonathan excelled at the Catholic missionary-run school, his religious teachers delighted when he

could quote chapter and verse from both Testaments in the Kitab Suci.
    As a teenager, Jonathan was moved to the larger port city

of Balikpapan, where he completed high school, curtailing the frequency of his home visits. It

was there that the young Dayak’s first glimpse of an aircraft so captivated his imagination he

became determined that, one day, he too would fly. As fate would have it, Indonesia’s founding

president, Soekarno, in delivering his country to the communists, signed pacts with Ho Chi Minh,

Mao Tse Tung and the Soviets, resulting in the Indonesian Armed Forces receiving massive military

aid from Moscow. Soviet and Chinese aircraft were added to existing squadrons of American B-25s

and 26s, P-51 Mustangs and Canadian Catalinas and, whilst the world’s attention was focused on

what was happening across the short distance to Vietnam, Indonesia suddenly emerged as a most

threatening power.
    Jonathan was selected for pilot training. Upon graduation,

he was sent to Soviet-occupied Czechoslovakia along with scores of others to learn yet another

language, and undertake conversion training on MiG aircraft.
    When he returned to Indonesia, his country already boasted

the third largest communist party in the world and was engaged in war with Malaysia, Singapore

and, secretly,