THE GREAT FEAST 223 



grained wood, light in colour, with a cover made from wild 

 ox hide. An especially constructed iron tool driven by 

 blows from a small club is used to hollow out the log, 

 and the drum is usually completed in a single night, 

 many men taking turns. In one part of the house lying 

 furthest west lived Dayaks called Oma-Palo, who were 

 reported to have been in this tribe a hundred years. 

 They occupied "eight doors,'* while further on, in quarters 

 comprising "five doors," dwelt Oma-Tepe, more recent 

 arrivals; and both clans have married Oma-Suling women. 

 The purpose of the great feast that filled everybody's 

 thoughts is to obtain many children, a plentiful harvest, 

 good health, many pigs, and much fruit. A prominent 

 Dayak said to me: "If we did not have this feast there 

 would not be many children; the paddi would not ripen 

 well, or would fail; wild beasts would eat the fowls, and 

 there would be no bananas or other fruits." The first 

 four days are chiefly taken up with preparations, the fes- 

 tival occurring on the fifth and sixth days. A place of 

 worship adjoining the front of the easternmost house 

 was being constructed, with a floor high above ground on 

 a level with the gallery, with which it was connected by 

 a couple of planks for a bridge. Although flimsily built, 

 the structure was abundantly strong to support the com- 

 bined weight of the eight female blians who at times 

 performed therein. The hut, which was profusely dec- 

 orated with long, hanging wood shavings, is called dangei 

 and is an important adjunct of the feast, to which the 

 same name is sometimes given. Ordinary people are 

 not allowed to enter, though they may ascend the ladder, 



