i82 THROUGH CENTRAL RORNEO 



be avoided. The husband also observes all these tabus 

 and precautions. 



The Penyahbongs rise before dawn. Fire is made, 

 primitive man's greatest comfort, and they seat them- 

 selves before it awaiting daylight, the woman brings her 

 child near it, and all smoke strong native tobacco. With- 

 out first eating, the man goes out to hunt for animals, 

 usually alone, but if two or three go together they later 

 separate. The hunter leaves his parang at home, tak- 

 ing only the sumpitan. He may not return until the 

 afternoon. Small game he carries home himself, but 

 when a large animal has been killed, as wild pig, deer, bear, 

 large monkey, he will leave it in the utan for his wife 

 to bring home. In case of a rhino being slain he will re- 

 move the horn, but the woman will cut up the animal 

 and take it home, unless it is too late, when she postpones 

 the task until the next morning. 



The husband is fond of singing, and, accompanying 

 himself by striking the rattan strings attached to the 

 back of a shield, he may occupy himself in this way until 

 the small hours of the morning. Women make mats in 

 the evening, or do work of some kind, and the young peo- 

 ple may play and sing for a while, or they may listen to 

 the singing of the lord of the household; but gradually all 

 go to sleep except the wife. 



Besides the small knife for splitting rattan, which is 

 the special implement of the Dayak woman, the fair sex 

 of the Penyahbongs has a parang, a spear, an axe, a bone 

 implement used in working rattan mats, and a rattan 

 bag which is carried on the back. The women in several 



