68 THROUGH CENTRAL BORNEO 



sport to take the fish before the fences were reached, and 

 for this purpose hand nets or spears were used. This 

 [\irt of the proceeding was most entertaining. 



The fleet of prahus thoroughly searched the water, 

 descending the river slowly in seven hours. At a few 

 places where the stream makes large pools a few hundred 

 metres long the boats loitered for a considerable time, as 

 the prey would not often rise to the surface. Now and 

 then there was much excitement over a fish that had risen 

 and dived again, and the nearest prahus would all try to 

 get it. Soon a man would be seen to iump after it with 

 fixed spear, pass out of view, and after a while reappear on 

 the surface, invariably with a large fish on the spear point. 

 It was a magnificent exhibition of agility combined with 

 skill. 



The Malays also captured many victims with their 

 casting-nets. It is customary for each to consider as his 

 personal property all the fish he obtains. These gather- 

 ings afford much delight to the children, of whom a great 

 number accompanied their elders in the prahus. Women 

 and children were in holiday attire, and, in spite of the 

 grotesque ornaments of big rings in the split, distended 

 ear-lobes, the latter were unusually charming. They had 

 bracelets of brass and silver around their wrists and 

 ankles; some of them wore necklaces of antique beads in 

 dull colors, yellow, dark brown, or dccj) blue. Such a 

 necklace may cost over a thousand florins. The spirit of 

 the whole occasion was like that of a great picnic. 



All was over at five o'clock in the afternoon, w hen the 

 people dispersed to their respective kampongs. At each 



