CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH 



167 



wax. The holes are stopped by the fingers, each 

 pipe emitting its note only when its hole is stopped. 

 The physical principles involved are ob- 

 scure to us. Varieties of this instrument 

 are made by all the tribes of Borneo as 

 well as by many other peoples of the far 

 East (PL 70). 



The bamboo harp is similar to that made 

 and used by the Punans (see Fig. 86) ; the 

 sapeh is a two-stringed instrument of the 

 banjo order ; the strings are thin strips of 

 rattan ; the whole stem and body are carved 

 out of a single block of hard wood (see 

 PI. 1 70 and Fig. 20). 



Some of the girls learn to execute a 

 solo dance, which consists largely in slow 

 graceful movements of the arms and hands 

 (PI. 170). The bigger boys are taught 

 to take part in the dance in which the 

 return from the warpath is dramatically 

 represented. This is a musical march 

 rather than a dance. A party of young 

 men in full war-dress form up in single 

 line ; the leader, and perhaps two or three 

 others, play the battle march on the keluri. 

 The line advances slowly up the gallery, 

 each man turning half about 

 at every third step, the even 

 numbers turning to the one 

 hand, the odd to the other 

 hand, alternately, and all 

 stamping together as they 

 complete the turn at each 

 third step. The turning to 

 right and left symbolises the 

 alert guarding of the heads 

 which are supposed to be carried by the victorious 

 warriors. 



Fig. 85.— Keluri. 



VOL. II 



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