CHAPTER XXXIII 



KASUNGAN — THE WEALTH OF THE DAYAKS — ANIMISM — 

 GUARDIANS OF THE DEAD — HUGE SERPENTS — CROCO- 

 DILES — GOVERNMENT OF DAYS GONE BY — KATINGAN 

 CUSTOMS AND BELIEFS 



Next day we arrived at Kasungan, where we were 

 offered quarters in a large room in the "onder's" house. 

 There was no news of our steamer, the Selatan y and I 

 remained about a week. The "onder," a Kahayan who 

 had been here twenty-five years, had the intelligence 

 and reliability that seems characteristic of the Dayaks 

 of the Kahayan and Kapuas Rivers, and, as a matter 

 of course, possessed extensive knowledge of the Katingan. 

 He had lately been converted to Christianity. The 

 kampong was quite large, and although it has been sub- 

 ject to the influence of Malay traders a long time and 

 quite recently to that of a missionary, still the natives 

 offered considerable of interest. It is only eight years 

 since the communal house obtained. Before some of the 

 houses stand grotesque kapatongs, and the majority of 

 the population lives in the atmosphere of the long ago. 

 I was still able to buy ethnological articles and imple- 

 ments which are becoming increasingly difficult to secure. 



On entering a house the salutation is, Akko domo (I 

 (akko) arrive). To this is answered, Munduk (Sit down). 

 On leaving the visitor says, Akko buhao (I am going). 

 To which is responded, Come again. On my way to visit 



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