142 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO chap. 



The Story of Usai 



The following myth, current under several forms 

 among the Klemantans, accounts for a number of 

 the geographical features of the Baram district, in 

 which it was told us. The story was evoked from 

 an old man of the Long Kiputs by a question as to 

 his views about the nature of the stars. He 

 explained that the stars are holes in the sky made 

 by the roots of trees in the world above the sky 

 projecting through the floor of that world. At one 

 time, he explained, the sky was close to the earth, 

 but one day Usai, a giant, when working sago with 

 a wooden mallet accidentally struck his mallet 

 against the sky ; since which time the sky has been 

 far up out of the reach of man. Our informant, 

 warming up with the excitement of the recital, went 

 on to give us the following history of Usai : — 



Usai was the brother of the guardian of the 

 shades of men. His wife desired to have a large 

 prawn that lived in the Baram river ; so Usai built 

 a dam across the river at Lubok Suan (a spot where 

 the river is about 250 yards in width) and baled out 

 the water below it, seizing the crocodiles with his 

 fingers and whisking them out on to the bank. 

 While this operation was in progress, the dam gave 

 way ; and Usais wife was drowned in the sudden 

 rush of water. In vain he sought for his wife, 

 weeping bitterly. Disconsolately he waded down 

 the river. At the mouth of the Pelutan he wept 

 anew, throwing aside the crocodiles as he explored 

 the bed of the river. At Long Salai he found his 

 wife's coat and wept again. At Long Lama he 

 found his wife's waist-cloth and gave up hope, and 

 at Tamala he clucked like a hen, so great was his 

 grief. Still he went on wading down the river. 

 The water, which at Long Plusan was only just 

 above his ankles, reached his middle at the mouth 



