XI 



HANDICRAFTS 



209 



his own household. If any widow is the head of a 

 household, her section is constructed by her male 

 neighbours or relatives without payment. 



Before beginning the building of a new house 

 favourable omens must be obtained ; and the 

 Kayans would be much troubled if bad omens 

 were observed during the building, especially dur- 

 ing the first few days. At this time, therefore, 

 children are told off to beat upon gongs hung about 



Fig. 39. 



the new site, and so, by scaring away the birds and 

 obscuring the sound of their cries, to prevent the 

 appearance of bad omens from their side. Bad 

 omens combined with ill-luck, such as death, bad 

 dreams, or an attack by enemies during building 

 (even if this were successfully repelled), would lead 

 to the desertion of a partially built house and the 

 choice of another site. 



All the interior peoples construct their houses on 

 principles similar to those described above, but with 

 considerable diversity in detail. The greatest 



VOL. I p 



