298 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO chap. 



people in serried ranks all round about it. In the centre 

 was a huge, gaily painted efdgy of a hornbill, one of the birds 

 sacred to all the tribes, and on it were hung thousands of 

 cigarettes of home-grown tobacco wrapped in dried banana 

 leaf. Three enormous pigs were now brought in and laid, 

 bound as to their feet, before the chiefs, one for each of 

 the main divisions of the people, the Barams, the Tin jars, 

 and the hill-country folk. The greatest chiefs of each of 

 these parties then approached the pigs, and each in turn, 

 standing beside the pig assigned to his party, addressed 

 the attentive multitude with great flow of words and 

 much violent and expressive action ; for many of these 

 people are great orators. The purport of their speeches 

 was their desire for peace, their devotion to the Resident 

 (" If harm come to him, then may I fall too," said Tama 

 Bulan), and their appreciation of the trade and general 

 intercourse and safety of life and property brought them 

 by the Rajah's government ; and they hurled threats and 

 exhortations against unlicensed warfare and bloodshed. 



As each chief ended his speech to the people he turned 

 to the pig at his feet, and, stooping over it, kept gently 

 prodding it with a smouldering fire-brand, while he 

 addressed to it a prayer for protection and guidance — a 

 prayer that the spirit of the pig, soon to be set free by a 

 skilful thrust of a spear into the beast's heart, should carry 

 up to the Supreme Being. The answer to these prayers 

 might then be read in the form and markings of the under- 

 side of the livers. So the pigs were despatched, and their 

 livers hastily dragged forth and placed on platters before 

 the group of chiefs. Then was there much anxious peer- 

 ing over shoulders, and much shaking of wise old heads, 

 as the learned elders discussed the omens ; until at last 

 the Resident was called upon to give his opinion, for he is 

 an acknowledged expert in augury. He was soon able to 

 show that the only true and rational reading of the livers 

 was a guarantee of peace and prosperity to all the tribes of 

 the district ; and the people, accepting his learned inter- 

 pretation, rejoiced with one accord. Then the Resident 

 made a telling speech, in which he dwelt upon the 

 advantages of peace and trade, and how it is good that a 

 man should sleep without fear that his house be burnt or 

 his people slain ; and he ended by seizing the nearest chief 

 by the hair of his head, as is their own fashion, to show 

 how, if a man break the peace, he shall lose his head. 



