302 A CURIOUS AND SALUTARY CUSTOM. 



poor families are compelled to borrow of the rich, and 

 it sometimes happens, that being unable to repay the 

 debt, they live in the houses of their creditors, and 

 work on their farms. They are just as happy, however, 

 in this state, as if perfectly free, enjoying all the liberty 

 of their masters, who never think of ill-using them. 

 Since the security of property, consequent on the 

 prevalence of European influence in the country, no 

 persons have become slave-debtors; as, with industry, 

 every individual can raise sufficient, and more than suffi- 

 cient, to provide himself with food, and to pay the 

 few demands upon him. 



One curious custom of the Dyaks of the Hills, 

 which was doubtless intended, in its original institution, 

 to prevent the prevalence of indolence, is, that no 

 Dyak can, under any circumstances, eat of new rice, 

 until his own be ripe ; and this is so strictly observed 

 amongst the Sow and Singhie tribes that, when their 

 own supply was finished, a few days before their har- 

 vest was ripe, though they had not eaten rice for four 

 days, I could not induce them to partake of that I 

 had brought with me from the town, because it was 

 of the produce of that year's harvest, having been 

 grown by the Sea Dyaks, who always make their farms 

 earlier than the Hill tribes. Could they eat of new 

 rice, many of them would, perhaps, from idleness, delay 

 the preparing of their farms, hoping to borrow, and 

 thus become indebted to their more industrious neigh- 

 bours ; but with this curious, but useful practice before 

 them, they all plant at one time, and are, conse- 

 sequently, not burdensome to each other, and can only 



