DYAKS OF SARAWAK. 275 



until the habitat of the plant be better ascertained. 

 Should it be found to be held in the same veneration 

 amongst the Kyan tribes, and the wild inhabitants of 

 Celebes and the Arafouras of the different islands to the 

 eastward become better known, the fact of this plant 

 having been carried westward may be of considerable 

 importance, in setting at rest the long agitated question 

 regarding the direction in which the tide of population 

 in the eastern islands flowed. That this island was 

 peopled originally from the eastward, is, I think, to be 

 deduced from the relative positions of the tribes : the 

 Kyans, the most strong and powerful, occupying the 

 eastern coast, having driven the Sea Dyaks, the descend- 

 ants of former emigrants, to the westward, who had pre- 

 viously forced the Land Dyaks, the first immigrants to 

 the island, to retreat before them in the same manner. 



Connected with the subject of their religious and 

 superstitious observances, must be mentioned the faith 

 they place in omens, which are principally drawn from 

 the noises of insects ; they are esteemed favourable, or 

 otherwise, according as they are in particular directions 

 from the person wishing to consult them : they have also 

 omens of other kinds, but I am not sufficiently ac- 

 quainted with the subject to detail them. I may add, 

 from my own observation, that they will never start on 

 any journey, however short, until they ascertain from 

 these practices, whether it will end favourably ; and 

 should the omens not be at first as they wish them, 

 they seldom have to wait long before a promising one is 

 heard, as, from the number of insects which supply 



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