170 DYAK HOUSES. 



in length, and the houses being built on very strong 

 posts with wooden sides, and covered with atap, 

 they present frequently a neater and more comfort- 

 able appearance than the frequently ruinous houses 

 of the Malays. Besides the door opening into the 

 verandah, they have on each side of their dwellings, 

 which consist only of one room, a door communicating 

 with the residence of the next family, so that, if it were 

 an advantage, a person could traverse the whole length 

 of the terrace without appearing on the verandah at 

 all. The windows of their houses are part of the roof, 

 which, in the construction of the house, has been sepa- 

 rated for that purpose ; it is raised and supported 

 open by a notched bamboo or other stick, and when 

 shut is un distinguishable from the rest of the roof. 

 The ataps composing the thatch are not each tied to 

 the rafters, but being bound into large sheets are 

 secured only in a few places, so that in case of fire, by 

 the few fastenings being cut, they are easily slid from 

 the steep sloping roof, and prevented from adding fuel 

 to the, without them, too inflammable dwellings. 



The large covered shed or verandah above described 

 is the place where all the in-door occupations of the 

 men and women are carried on, and when not engaged 

 in out-door occupations, they may be all seen here 

 together pursuing their varied avocations ; the men in 

 preparing weapons of the chase or war, or instruments 

 of agriculture, the women in cleaning rice from the 

 husk, making mats, baskets, &c. As the inhabitants 



