212 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO chap. 



Measurement 



The Kayans use two principal standards of length, 

 namely, the buka and the buhak. The former is 

 the length of the span from finger-tip to tip of 

 outstretched arms ; the latter is the length of the 

 span from tip of the thumb to tip of the first finger 

 of the same hand. In buying a pig, for example, 

 the price is determined by the number of buhak 

 required to encircle its body just behind the fore- 

 legs. The half buka is also in general use, especi- 

 ally in measuring rattans cut for sale, the required 

 length of which is two and a hsXi buka. In order 

 to express the half, they have adopted the Malay 

 word stingaky having no word of their own. 



Distances between villages are always expressed 

 in terms of the average time taken by a boat in 

 ascending the stream from one to the other. 

 Distances by land are expressed still more vaguely ; 

 for example, the distance between the heads of two 

 streams might be expressed by saying that, if you 

 bathe in one, your hair would still be wet when you 

 reach the other (which means about one hour) ; or 

 a longer distance, by saying that if you started at 

 the usual time from one of the places you would 

 reach the other when the sun is as high as the 

 hawk (which means a journey from sunrise to about 

 lo A.M.), or when the sun is overhead [i.e. noon), or 

 when it is declining (about 3 p.m.), or when the sun 

 is put out (sunset), or when it is dark. 



In order to describe the size of a solid object 

 such as a fish, a Kayan would compare its thickness 

 with that of some part of his body, the forearm, 

 the calf of the leg, the thigh, or head, or the waist. 

 In describing the thickness of the subcutaneous fat 

 of a pig, he would mention one, two, three, or even 

 four fingers. 



