202 COOKERY OF TUE DTAKS. 



the flesh of animals, as amongst the inland tribes. 

 Nearly all the beasts of the forest are eaten by these 

 people, even monkeys, alligators (if small), snakes and 

 other reptiles are esteemed. Like the French, they 

 regard frogs as a delicate dish, and bestow consider- 

 able pains in procuring them: their rice is cooked in 

 brass or earthen pots, called priuks, which they pur- 

 chase from the Malays ; and plates of English manu- 

 facture have recently become very general among 

 them. They eat from the plates with their right 

 hand, compressing the rice (which is not cooked 

 dry as that of the Malays) into a ball of convenient 

 size. They know no way of cooking flesh but by 

 boiling it, which they do in bamboos, having pre- 

 viously cut the whole animal into small pieces. 



I once saw some Dyaks roasting a monkey, but did 

 not stay to observe whether they did not boil it after- 

 wards, as they generally partially roast these animals 

 to free them from the hair. They have very little 

 idea of flavouring their food except with salt, though 

 they sometimes employ chilis, or small capsicums, 

 turmeric, and ginger for that purpose. The Se- 

 booyohs, who have lived more intimately with the 

 Malays than the other tribes, have very much im- 

 proved upon their cooking, the methods having been 

 copied from their Mahometan neighbours. As they 

 have no occasion for fire except for the purposes 

 of cooking, their houses have no chimney, and the 

 little smoke which is created finds its way through 



