ON THE ISAU RIVER (yj 



caught; but if the right-hand piece is longer than the left, 

 all is well and much fish will be the result. 



The assemblage was chewing betel, smoking tobacco, 

 and with hopeful patience anticipating a successful out- 

 come, while one chief after another vainly attempted the 

 augury. Only men who have taken heads are permitted 

 to make divinations of fire at the tuba-fishing, and if all 

 the elders have tried and failed the fishing is delayed one 

 day. 



The same augury is used when dogs have run away. 

 If the left-hand piece is the longer, the dog is dead; if of 

 the same size, the dog will be found at a distant future 

 time; but if the right is the longer, the animal will be re- 

 covered very soon. The reading of pig's liver in regard 

 to the present or the future is used more by the Kayan 

 than by the Kenyah. 



It was after nine o'clock in the morning when success 

 was attained, and the fishers all suddenly dispersed. 

 Some of them carried beaten bark into four empty 

 prahus, threw water over it with their hands, then beat 

 it again, until finally it was crushed to shreds. The 

 prahus were then turned over and the stuff emptied into 

 the water, where it soon disappeared. The bark on the 

 blocks, which by this time had the appearance of a red- 

 dish-brown fibre, was now thrown into the river with 

 much shouting and running about, whereupon the men 

 ran out of sight, probably to take to their prahus. 



The majority of the stupefied fish are caught in the 

 so-called "bring," the traps running across the river, but 

 frantic endeavours were made by those engaged in the 



