AND WINNOWING THE PADI. 231 



with split rattans fastened into a frame-work, and 

 supported by four posts, over which also the roof is 

 extended : a mat is placed under the sieve, and the 

 heads of padi, being put into it above, are worked back- 

 wards and forwards over the fine rattans of the sieve 

 with a wooden instrument which they have for the 

 purpose, until the padi, being freed from the stalks, falls 

 into the receptacle below, whence it is taken, and being 

 well dried in the sun, is finally conveyed to the granary 

 of the family, until wanted for the purposes of trade 

 and of home consumption. 



Every year the series of operations above detailed is 

 repeated ; the soil, perhaps, being exhausted by the 

 enormous crop it sometimes produces in favourable 

 seasons. Last year was one of those, and I saw hun- 

 dreds of acres of padi which had fallen to the ground 

 for want of hands to gather it ; the crop having been 

 so much larger than the Dyaks, who generally calcu- 

 late these matters very shrewdly, and plant no more 

 than their own family can conveniently manage, had 

 anticipated. The Dyaks themselves, however, do 

 not suppose that the soil is in any way incapable of 

 bearing further culture ; but give always as a reason 

 for deserting their farms, that the weeds and grass 

 which immediately spring up after the padi has been 

 gathered, are less easily eradicated, than ground oc- 

 cupied by old jungle is prepared. They never return 

 to the same spot until after a period of seven years has 

 elapsed, which they say was the custom of their an- 



