ADVENTURES IN PURSUIT OF MAGIC 413 



children. He then struck it with his first finger, when 

 lo ! and behold ! there fell all around pork, boiled rice, 

 vegetable stew, sugar-cane, papaya, durian, bananas, 

 pineapples, and white onions. All present ate as long as 

 they were able, and food continued to fall. After that 

 people slept at night and arose in the morning to eat 

 and do no work, because all that they wished for was 

 produced immediately. 



Note. — The flying prahu, mentioned in this legend, plays an important 

 part in the religious exercises of the Ot-Danum, Katingan, and Kahayan. 

 See page 336. The head ornament of women is different in this tribe from 

 those observed elsewhere in Borneo. It may be seen in the back view of 

 the three Long-Glat women in Chapter XXVI. The tale shows Malay 

 influence by such expressions as gold, diamonds, brass, shirt pocket, bottle. 

 Allatala, the rendering of the Mahommedan Tuan Allah, is accepted as 

 an antoh also by certain Dayak tribes in Southern Borneo. Steel trunks, 

 as sold by Chinese or Malays, are much in favour with the Dayaks, and 

 were observed wherever I travelled. It is one of the first articles that those 

 who have taken part in an expedition to New Guinea will buy to take home. 

 White onions are usually to be procured on travels among the Dayaks, and 

 of course are not originally indigenous, no more than are sugarcane and pine- 

 apples (both scarce, especially the latter), cassava and red peppers. 



The non-Dayak expressions do not necessarily imply that the legend is 

 Malay. The one circumstance that might lend colour to this belief is that 

 in this legend, as well as in the preceding (Semang), both of which were told 

 me by the same man, the beauty of idle life is glorified. This seems to be 

 more a Malay than a Dayak quality. I was not long enough among the 

 Long-Glats to be able to decide on this point. Circumstances favour a non- 

 Malay origin. My informant, the kapala of Long Tujo, who showed Malay 

 influence (see page 272), may have embellished his narrative by his acquired 

 knowledge of things foreign. He was in reality a thorough Dayak, and he 

 had scruples about telling me these stories. He hesitated, especially in 

 regard to the one related, because it might injure him much to let me know 

 that one. The Long-Glat leave-taking, described, is called ngebato (to smell) 

 laung (nose). 



