2i8 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO chap. 



dying in large numbers, a boat-load of Kayans 

 working up-river encountered a succession of pigs' 

 carci^ses floating down, most of them in a state of 

 decomposition and swollen with gases. A practical 

 joker at the bow conceived the notion of prodding 

 the carcases with his spear and thus liberating the 

 foul-smelling gases for the benefit of those who sat 

 in the stern of the boat, to their great disgust and 

 the amusement of those on the forward benches. 

 Again — a Klemantan example — a chewer of betel- 

 nut and lime sometimes prepares several quids 

 wrapped carefully in sirih leaf, and sets them aside 

 till they are required. On one occasion, while the 

 crew of a boat landed to cook their dinner, a 

 youngster carefully opened such a quid and sub- 

 stituted a piece of filth for the betel-nut. When 

 the victim of the joke spat out the morsel, splutter- 

 ing with disgust and anger, the crew was moved to 

 loud laughter, which they tried in vain to suppress 

 out of consideration for the feelings of the victim ; 

 for no one likes to be laughed at. 



But, although the Kayans have a strong sense of 

 the ridiculous, their laughter is not so violent and 

 uncontrollable as that of Europeans is apt to be, 

 and it is not so apt to recur from time to time at 

 the mere recollection of an amusing incident. 



We refer to some of the stories reproduced in 

 Chapter XVII. as examples of the less crude forms of 

 humour appreciated by the people. These stories 

 are repeated again and again, without failing to 

 amuse those who are perfectly familiar with them. 

 /Esop's fables transposed into a Bornean key were, 

 we found, much appreciated. In a large proportion 

 of the entertaining stories of the Kayans, as well as 

 of the other tribes, the point of the story depends 

 on some reference to sexual relations or actions. 

 But such references are not, as a rule, coarsely put, 

 but rather hinted at merely, often in a somewhat 



