ETHNOLOGY OF BORNEO 251 



houses still inhabited by some Sumatran Malays, in 

 being comparatively small, and in having a frame- 

 work of many light poles rather than of heavy hard- 

 wood timbers, and a floor of split bamboo in place 

 of huge planks. In methods of weaving and dyeing 

 cloth and in the character of the cloths produced ; ^ 

 in the wearing of ornamental head-cloths ; in the 

 weaving of mats and baskets with the Pandanus leaf 

 and a large rush known as bumban rather than with 

 strips of split rattan ; in their methods of trapping 

 and netting fish ; in the character of the sword and 

 axe and shield as formerly used ; ^ in the use of the 

 fire-piston ; ^ in musical instruments and methods ; 

 in the custom of earth burial ; in the visiting and 

 making of offerings at the graves of noted men in 

 the hope of supernatural aid, — in all these respects 

 the I ban culture differs from that of the Kayans, and 

 closely resembles that of the Malays. 



The I ban culture presents also certain features 

 not common to other peoples of Borneo and not 

 found among the Malays ; and all or most are such 

 as must have been exterminated among the Malays 

 on their conversion to Islam, if they had formed 

 part of their culture in their pre-Islamic period. 

 Such are the religious beliefs and customs of the 

 Ibans with the cult of the Petara ; the Ngarong ; the 

 rite with the clay crocodile for getting rid of farm pests 

 (vol. ii. p. ZZ) ; the use in weaving of a number of 

 designs of animal origin ; the adornment of the 

 edge of the ear with many brass rings ; the lack of 

 any strict avoidance of killing dogs. 



Thirdly, of the features of I ban culture which 



^ The Malay does not, like the Iban, make use of the various animal 

 designs, but confines himself to simple geometrical patterns — but this difference 

 is probably a result of the adoption of the Moslem religion. 



^ Most Ibans now procure the parang Hang of the Kayans and copy their 

 wooden shields. 



' The fire-piston is found also in North Borneo, but with this exception is 

 peculiar to the Ibans among the pagan tribes. It has been widely used by 

 the Malays of the peninsula and those of Menangkaban in Sumatra (see H. 

 Balfour, " The Fire Piston," in volume of essays in honour of E. B. Tylor). 



