THE PEOPLES OF BORNEO 41 



Kenyah chief whose village was situated on one of 

 the tributaries of the Baram river, and who by his 

 loyal co-operation with the government of the Rajah 

 of Sarawak greatly facilitated the rapid establish- 

 ment of law and order in this district. 



Except for these informal alliances obtaining 

 between neighbouring villages of the people 

 of any one stock, each village forms an inde- 

 pendent community, ruled by its chief, making war 

 and peace and alliances, and selecting patches 

 of land for cultivation at its own pleasure. No 

 village community remains on the same spot for 

 any long period ; but after fifteen, ten, or even 

 fewer years, a new site is sought, often at a con- 

 siderable distance, and a new village is built. The 

 principal reasons for this habit of frequent migration, 

 which has produced the intimate mingling throughout 

 large areas of the peoples of different stocks, are 

 two : first, the necessity of finding virgin soil for 

 cultivation ; secondly, the occurrence of epidemics 

 or other calamities; these lead them to believe. that 

 the place of their aBode^^supplies in insufficient 

 degree the favouring spiritual influences which they 

 Tegard as essential to their welfare. For among 

 all these peoples animistic beliefs abound ; they 

 Kbid themselves to be surrounded on every hand 

 by spiritual forces both good and bad, some of 

 ^^3H£h_M§-^J^ko4i^4 in the wild creatures, especially 

 the birds, while some are manifested in such natural 

 processes as the growth of the corn, the rising of 

 the river in flood, the rolling of thunder, the 

 incidence of disease. And they are constantly 

 concerned to keep at a distance, by the observ- 

 ance of many rigidly prescribed customs, the evil 

 influences, and, to a less degree, to secure by 

 propitiatory acts the protection and the friendly 

 warnings of the beneficent powers. 

 y One of the most peculiar features of the people 



