84 THROUGH CENTRAL BORNEO 



water and very hot out of it. Tlic river was narrow, but 

 here and there widened out into pools. Many "bring" 

 were erected over the stream, and I noticed that they were 

 smaller than those I had seen before, but the arrange- 

 ments for beating the tuba were far more elaborate. 



On the river bank, as we approached the main camp- 

 ing-place, piles of the light-brown root were often seen, 

 resembling stacks of wood. The gathering of these roots, 

 I learned, was accomplished in one day. Our men had 

 helped in the work and they also put up a couple of 

 "bring" near our camp for our own use. Early in the 

 afternoon two rather solid structures, built like bridges 

 across the small river, were erected; on these the beating 

 of the tuba was to take place next morning. In the 

 middle, lengthwise, was placed a long, narrow excavated 

 log, longer than the bridge itself, for the use of the beaters. 



In the evening a large tree crashed to earth not far 

 from my camp, and at a later hour another, still nearer, 

 thunderously broke with its fall the silence of night. At 

 two o'clock in the morning the beating of tuba began, to 

 the accompaniment of shouts and outcries, and though 

 the noise was considerable and unusual I did not find it 

 intolerable, but fell asleep again. I arose early, and 

 after partaking of some excellent Dayak rice I walked 

 down to view the proceedings, and found the scene en- 

 grossing. Men and women stood close together on each 

 side of the long trough, crushing the tuba with sticks in 

 a similar manner to that adopted when pounding rice. 

 The trough had at one c-nd a small compartment, open 

 like the rest, but the sides had been smoothed with an 



