CHAP. XX PECULIARITIES 195 



ment of each individual to his community is also 

 greatly strengthened by the fact that it is hardly 

 possible for him to leave it, even if he would. For 

 he could not hope to maintain himself alone, or 

 as the head of an isolated family, against the 

 hostile forces, natural and human, that would 

 threaten him ; and it would be very difficult for 

 him to gain admittance to any other community. 



It is only when we consider these facts that we 

 can understand how smoothly the internal life of 

 the community generally runs, how few serious 

 offences are committed, how few are the quarrels, 

 and how few the instances of insubordination 

 towards the chief, and how tact and good sense can 

 rule the house without inflicting any other punish- 

 ment than fines and compensatory payments. 



And yet, when all these circumstances have been 

 taken into account, the orderly behaviour of a Kayan 

 community must be in part regarded as evidence of 

 the native superiority of character or disposition of the 

 Kayans. For though the Sea Dayaks, Klemantans, 

 and Muruts, live under very similar conditions, they 

 do not attain the same high level of social or moral 

 conduct. Among the Muruts there is much 

 drunkenness and consequent disorder, and the same 

 is true in a less degree of the Sea Dayaks ; among 

 them and some of the Klemantan tribes quarrels 

 within the house are of frequent occurrence, gener- 

 ally over disputed ownership of land, crops, fruit- 

 trees, or other property. And these quarrels are not 

 easily composed by the chiefs. Such quarrels not 

 infrequently lead to the splitting of a community, or 

 to the migration of the whole house with the 

 exception of one troublesome member and his 

 family, who are left in inglorious isolation in the 

 old house. 



But the higher level of conduct of the Kayans is 

 in most respects rivalled by that of the Kenyahs, 



