136 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO chap. 



rapids, one turning up stones, the other catching in 

 the net the fish that dart from beneath them. 



Yet another mode of netting fish is to suspend a 

 square of net attached by its corners to the ends of 

 two crossed and downward bending sticks. The 

 net is suspended by cords from its corners to the end 

 of a long bamboo, which rests upon a post about its 

 middle. The fisherman lowers the net into the 

 water by raising the landward end of the bamboo 

 lever, and when he sees fish swimming above it, 

 attracted by a bait, he suddenly depresses his end 

 of the bamboo, so as to bring the net quickly above 

 the surface. On the coast drag nets are used. 



The selambo is used in small streams where fish 

 are abundant. A fence of upright bamboos is built 

 out from either bank, starting at opposite points 

 and converging down stream to two points near the 

 middle of the stream and about seven feet apart ; 

 where each terminates a stout pole is driven firmly 

 into the bed of the river. These two poles are con- 

 nected by a stout cross-piece lashed to them a little 

 above the level of the water. The cross-piece forms 

 a fulcrum for a pair of long poles joined together 

 with cross-pieces, in such a way that their down- 

 stream ends almost meet, while up stream they 

 diverge widely. They rest upon the fulcrum at a 

 point about one-third of their length from their down- 

 stream ends. Between the widely divergent parts 

 up stream from the fulcrum a net is loosely stretched. 

 The net lies submerged until fish coming down 

 stream are directed on to the net by the convergent 

 fences. The fisherman stands on a rude platform 

 grasping the handle-end, and, feeling the contacts of 

 the fishes with the net, throws his weight upon the 

 handle, so bringing the net quickly above the surface. 

 Beside him he has a large cage of bamboo standing 

 in the water, into which the fish are allowed to slide 

 from the elevated net. 



