68 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO chap. 



influential of the powers of the lake and able to 

 ensure us good sport. 



In such cases the eggs are probably economical 

 substitutes for fowls, as seems to be indicated by the 

 following facts : When Kenyah boys enter a strange 

 branch of the river for the first time, they go, each 

 one taking a fowl's egg in his hand, into the jungle 

 with some old man, who takes the eggs, puts them 

 into the cleft ends of poles fixed upright in the earth, 

 and thus addresses all the omen-birds collectively, 

 " Don't let any harm happen to these children who 

 are coming for the first time to this river ; they give 

 you these eggs." Sometimes instead of eggs the 

 feathers of a fowl are used ; and both the eggs and 

 feathers would seem to be substituted for fowls, as 

 being good enough in the case of mere children 

 performing a minor rite. 



When the belly of a fowl is opened there are 

 prominent two curved portions of the gut. The 

 state of these is examined in some cases before the 

 planting o{ padi, and sometimes before attempting 

 to catch the soul of a sick man. If the parts are 

 much curved, it is a good omen ; if straight or but 

 slightly curved, it is a bad omen. 



The Crocodile 



Like all other races of Sarawak, the Kenyahs 

 regard the crocodiles that infest their rivers as more 

 or less friendly creatures. They fear the crocodile 

 and do not like to mention it by name, especially if 

 one be in sight, and refer to it as **old grandfather." 

 But the fear is rather a superstitious fear than the 

 fear of being seized by the beast. They regard 

 those of their own neighbourhood as more especially 

 friendly, in spite of the fact that members of their 

 households are occasionally taken by crocodiles, 

 either while standing incautiously on the bank of 



