126 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO chap. 



his sword, and special hooks are provided in most 

 houses for the hanging up of such swords (Fig. 82). 

 There are many instances of siap of specialised 

 function. A man specially devoted to hunting with 

 the blowpipe will have a special blow-pipe siap tied 

 to his quiver (this is especially common among 

 Punans). He will dip this siap in the blood of 

 every animal he kills, so that it becomes thickly 

 encrusted. This is thought to increase or preserve 

 its virtue. 



Another special kind of siap is that which ensures 

 a man against hurt from firearms, through causing 

 any gun aimed at him to miss 

 fire. 



The I bans use personal charms 

 which they call pengaroh ; but in 

 accordance with their more indi- 

 vidualistic disposition, they have 

 no important charm common to 

 the whole household correspond- 

 ing to the household siap of the 

 other peoples. The objects com- 

 posing xh^ pengaroh are an assort- 

 ment even more varied and 

 fantastic than the siap of other 

 peoples. In many cases they 

 are carried with small china pots 

 of oil, which are used to rub on the body as a 

 universal remedy. 



A curious object to be occasionally seen in some 

 Sea Dayak houses is the empugau. It is a blackened 

 bundle hung in a basket among the heads above the 

 hearth. It is covered with the smoke and soot of 

 ages, and though it is generally claimed as the 

 property of some one man who has inherited it from 

 his forefathers, even he knows nothing of its history 

 and composition, and is unwilling to examine it 

 closely. It is regarded by the I bans as the head of 



Fig. 82. — Kayan Hook. 



