200 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO chap. 



would usually be made to pay very heavy compensa- 

 tion to relatives, the amount being greater the 

 higher the social status and the greater the wealth 

 of the culprit ; the amount may equal, in fact, the 

 whole of his property and more besides ; and he 

 might, in order to raise the amount, have to sell 

 himself into slavery to another, slavery being their 

 only equivalent to imprisonment. The relatives 

 would probably desire to kill the murderers ; but the 

 chief would generally restrain them and would find 

 his task rendered easier by the fact that, if they 

 insist on taking the murderer's life, they would 

 forfeit their right to compensation.^ The amount 

 of the compensation to be paid would not depend 

 upon the social standing of the murdered man, but 

 the fine paid to the house or chief would be heavier 

 in proportion to his rank. But we have knowledge 

 of cases in which chiefs have, with the approval of 

 the house, had a murderer put to the sword. The 

 murderer who has paid compensation has, however, 

 by no means set himself right with the household ; 

 they continue to look askance at him. Set fights 

 or duels between men of the same house are very 

 rare. If a Kayan of one house kills one of another, 

 his chief would see that he paid a proper compensa- 

 tion to the relatives, as well as a fine to his own 

 house. If a man killed his own slave, he would be 

 liable to no punishment unless the act were com- 

 mitted in the house ; but public opinion would 

 strongly disapprove. 



' Running amok ' is not unknown among Kayans, 

 though it is very rare. If a man in this condition 

 of blind fury kills any one, he is cut down and killed, 

 unless he is in the house ; in which case he would 

 be knocked senseless with clubs, carried out of the 

 house into the jungle, and there slain. 



Drunkenness during an act of criminal violence 



^ This would not be always true of similar cases among Sea Dayaks. 



