68 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO chap. 



fully, and accepting his decisions with more deference 

 than is accorded by the Kayans. The chief in 

 return shows himself more generous and paternal 

 towards his people, interesting himself more 

 intimately in their individual affairs. Hence the 

 Kenyah chief stands out more prominently as 

 leader and representative of his people, and the 

 cohesion of the whole community is stronger. The 

 chief owes his great influence over his people in 

 large measure to his training, for, while still a 

 youth, the son or the nephew of a chief is accustomed 

 to responsibility by being sent in charge of small 

 bodies of followers upon missions to distant villages, 

 to gather or convey information, or to investigate 

 disturbing rumours. He is also frequently called 

 upon to speak on public occasions, and thus early 

 becomes a practised orator. 



Among Klemantans, Muruts, and Sea Dayaks 

 each house recognises a headman or chief; but he 

 has little authority (more perhaps among the first 

 of these peoples than among the other two). He 

 acts as arbitrator in household disputes, but in too 

 many cases his impartiality is not above suspicion, 

 save where custom rigidly limits his preference. 



Among both Kayans and Kenyahs three social 

 strata are clearly distinguishable and are recognised 

 by the people themselves in each village. The upper 

 class is constituted by the family of the chief and 

 his near relatives, his aunts and uncles, brothers, 

 sisters, and cousins, and their children. These 

 upper-class families are generally in easier circum- 

 stances than the others, thanks to the possession of 

 property such as brass ware, valuable beads, caves 

 in which the swift builds its edible nest, slaves, and 

 a supply of all the other material possessions larger 

 in quantity and superior in quality to those of the 

 middle- and lower-class families. 



The man of the upper class can generally be 



