222 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO chap, xx 



in a stiff collar and a black coat upon the well-paved 

 ways of civilised society. 



We have no hesitation in saying that, the more 

 intimately one becomes acquainted with these pagan 

 tribes, the more fully one realises the close 

 similarity of their mental processes to one's own. 

 Their primary impulses and emotions seem to be in 

 all respects like our own. It is true that they are 

 very unlike the typical civilised man of some of the 

 older philosophers, whose every action proceeded 

 from a nice and logical calculation of the algebraic 

 sum of pleasures and pains to be derived from 

 alternative lines of conduct ; but we ourselves are 

 equally unlike that purely mythical personage. The 

 Kayan or the I ban often acts impulsively in ways 

 which by no means conduce to further his best 

 interests or deeper purposes ; but so do we also. 

 He often reaches conclusions by processes that 

 cannot be logically justified ; but so do we also. 

 He often holds, and upon successive occasions acts 

 upon, beliefs that are logically inconsistent with one 

 another ; but so do we also. 



