TROPICAL PESTS 129 



old and belonged to the brother of the kapala, had in its 

 centre an upright pillar carved at the top which passed 

 through the floor without reaching the roof. The house, 

 as is the universal custom in Borneo, stands on piles, 

 and in erecting it a slave who, according to ancient cus- 

 tom, was sacrificed, in that way to insure good luck, 

 had been buried alive underneath the central post, which 

 was more substantial than the others. 



During rain it is conducive to a sense of comfort and 

 security to be safely roofed and sheltered in a house, but 

 usually I preferred my tent, and occupied it unless the 

 river was too threatening. From the trees in its close 

 proximity a species of small frog gave concerts every 

 evening, and also occasionally favoured me with a visit. 

 One morning they had left in my quarters a cluster of 

 eggs as large as a fist, of a grey frothy matter, which the 

 ants soon attacked and which later was eaten by the hens. 



The fowls, coarse, powerful specimens of the poultry 

 tribe, were a source of great annoyance on account of 

 their number and audacity. As usual among the Malays, 

 from whom the Dayaks originally acquired these domestic 

 birds, interest centres in the males on account of the 

 prevalent cock-fights, and the hens are in a very decided 

 minority. For the night the feathered tribe settles on 

 top of the houses or in the surrounding trees. Hens with 

 small chickens are gathered together in the evening by the 

 clever hands of the Dayak women, hen and brood being 

 put into an incredibly small wicker bag, which is hung up 

 on the gallery for the night. Otherwise carnivorous ani- 

 mals, prowling about, would make short work of them. 



