124 THROUGH CENTRAL BORNEO 



stant occupation of the blians, however, is to cure disease 

 which is caused by a malicious antoh longing to eat hu- 

 man blood and desiring to drive away the human soul. 

 When hungry an antoh makes somebody ill. The blian's 

 rites, songs, dances, and sacrifices aim to induce a good 

 antoh to chase away or kill the evil one which has taken 

 possession of the patient, and thus make an opportunity 

 for the frightened soul to return, which restores the man 

 to health. This, without undue generalisation, is a short 

 summary of the religious ideas which I found on the Maha- 

 kam and in Southern Borneo, more especially those of the 

 Penihing, Katingan, and IMurung. Further details will 

 be found among descriptions of the different tribes. 



Shortly afterward we all made an excursion up the 

 river as far as Batu Boa, which, as is often the case, con- 

 tains a Dayak as well as a Malay kampong. At the first 

 one, a forlorn and desolate looking place, the kapala, who 

 had an unusually large goitre, told me that eighteen men 

 had been engaged by the captain for his journey north- 

 ward from there, which definitely precluded any prospect 

 of ours for an overland expedition, even if under other 

 conditions it would have been possible. As for the Ma- 

 lays, I found them rather distant, and was glad to return 

 to Tumbang Marowei. 



Here a singular sight met us In a sculptured represen- 

 tation of a rhinoceros with a man on his back, entirely 

 composed of red rubber, standing on a float and sur- 

 rounded by a number of blocks made of the same ma- 

 terial. White and red pieces of cloth tied to upright sap- 

 lings on the float added a certain gaiety to the scene. 



