362 THROUGH CENTRAL BORNEO 



sion the coffin is put on a big fire for a couple of hours 

 until the flesh has been burned from the bones, which are 

 then collected in a small box and placed in a house of 

 limited proportions especially constructed for this purpose 

 and called sandung. It is made of ironwood, and in these 

 regions the people have a preference for placing it high 

 above the ground, but it may also be put underground in 

 a subterranean chamber also made of ironwood, which 

 may take five or six months to construct and which is 

 large enough to accommodate a family. The feast lasts 

 one week, during which food and tuak are provided. 

 Every night the women dance inside the house, around 

 a tree composed of many bamboo stalks placed together 

 so as to form a large trunk. As elsewhere mentioned, 

 (p. 142), the dancing, which is similar to that which fol- 

 lows the harvest, is for the benefit of the ghost and is dis- 

 tinct from the usual performance. 



As soon as the tiwah feast has been decided upon the 

 people start simultaneously to perfect the various arrange- 

 ments, some looking for a water-buffalo or two, others 

 beginning to make the several contrivances which the 

 occasion demands. Many men are thus occupied for 

 several months. There are experts in the required 

 handiwork, though a skilful man may be capable of per- 

 forming all the various tasks. In earlier days the dif- 

 ferent memorials and the box containing the bones were 

 placed in front of the house of the deceased, but of late 

 years government officials have made some changes in 

 this arrangement. When preparing for a tiwah feast 

 it was the custom to close the river for perhaps three 



