DYAK FARM, HUT, AND GRANARIES. 220 



Indian corn, or maize, as it is frequently called in 

 Europe, is planted sparingly at the same time ; and as 

 it is ripe and off the ground in three months from the 

 time of sowing, it does not injure the padi, amongst 

 the rows of which it is sown ; and as it comes in at a 

 season when the rice is getting exhausted, and the 

 second crop not ready, it is of great use to the Dyaks, 

 though not so much esteemed as rice as an article of 

 food. On the larger collections of ashes they also sow 

 the seeds of gourds, pumpkins, a kind of melon without 

 flavour, and cucumbers, of which they are very fond. 

 These trail along the ground amongst the stems of the 

 padi, to which they appear to do no injury, and con- 

 tinue bearing for some time after the rice crop has 

 been gathered in, 



After the field has been all planted, the Dyak 

 and his family occupy themselves in building a hut 

 on some elevated position in the field, for the con- 

 venience of being able to reside at it constantly 

 during the periods when it most requires their care, 

 and for storing the harvest when ripe from the rain, 

 until they can carry it to their granaries, which are 

 generally near, but apart from the houses of the vil- 

 lage. The ' dangau,' as this hut is called, is always 

 upon posts, and with a raised but not covered plat- 

 form before it, for the convenience of drying, the 

 padi before it is placed in the baskets in- which it 

 is to be conveyed to the granary. During its growth 

 the field is always weeded twice : this, as they are 

 assisted by no tools, with the exception of their parang, 



