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DAILY LIFE 129 



overhear the proceedings ; and if they find these 

 exceptionally interesting, they will congregate about 

 the doors, but will strictly abstain from interfering 

 with them in any way. The flow of speech and 

 song and conversation goes on uninterruptedly, 

 except when the occasional intrusion into the circle 

 of some irrepressible dog necessitates its violent 

 expulsion ; until, as midnight approaches, the men 

 drop away from the circle by twos and threes, the 

 circle being finally broken up when the visiting 

 chief expresses a desire to sleep. Each guest 

 spreads his own mat on the platform assigned to 

 the party, and the men of the house retire to their 

 rooms. 



We will not conclude this chapter without stating 

 that among the Kayans, Kenyahs, and most of the 

 Klemantans, alcoholic intoxication is by no means 

 common. At great feasts, such as are made at the 

 close of the harvest or on the return of a successful 

 war-party, much borak is drunk, the women joining 

 in, and a few of the men will usually become quite 

 drunk ; but most of them will hardly go further 

 than a state of boisterous jollity. 



Although in a year of good padi harvest each 

 family constantly renews its supply of borak, yet the 

 spirit is never drunk in private, but only on festive 

 occasions of the kind described above, or when a 

 man entertains a small party of friends in his own 

 chamber. 



The account given above of the reception and 

 entertainment of guests would apply with but little 

 modification to the houses of the Kenyahs and 

 Klemantans. In the Sea Dayak house the reception 

 and entertainment of guests is less ceremonious, 

 and is carried out by the unorganised efforts of 

 individuals, rather than by the household as a 

 whole with the chief at its head. On the arrival 

 of a party of visitors, the people of each room 



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