CHAP. 



230 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO 



is made to stand out boldly from the ground by 

 darkening the latter. This is achieved in two ways : 

 (i) the ground is covered with parallel close -set 

 scratches, not running continuously throughout the 

 larger areas of the ground, but grouped in sets 

 of parallel lines some few millimetres in length, the 

 various sets meeting at angles of all degrees; (2) 

 the hard surface of the bamboo is wholly scraped 

 away from the ground areas to a depth of about 

 half a^ millimetre. In either case the black or red 

 paint is then smeared over the whole surface with 

 the finger, and when it has become dried the 

 surface is rubbed with a piece of cloth (Kayan), or 

 scraped lightly with a knife (Iban). The pigment 

 is thus removed from the intact parts and remains 

 adherent to the lines and areas from which the 

 hard surface layer has been removed. The design 

 is thus left in very low relief, and is of the natural 

 colour of the bamboo upon a black or dark -red 

 ground, or on a ground merely darkened by the 

 parallel scratches (Pis. 126, 127). 



Lashing 



Lashing with strips of rattan and with coarse 

 fibres from the leaf-stem of some of the palms and 

 ferns is applied to a great variety of purposes, and 

 largely takes the place of our nailing and screwing 

 and riveting. It is carried out extremely neatly 

 and commonly has a decorative effect. This 

 effect is in some cases enhanced by combining 

 blackened threads with those of the natural pale 

 yellow colour ; and the finer varieties of this work 

 deserve to be classed with the decorative arts. 

 The finest lashing-work is done by the Kalabits, 

 who cover small bamboo boxes with a layer of 

 close -set lashing, producing pleasing geometrical 

 designs by the combination of yellow and black 



