TRIBES IN DUTCH BORNEO 431 



by an antoh. Omens are taken from nine birds and from 

 dreams. When a house is finished there are two or three 

 hours' dancing in the night by men and women, one man 

 playing the sapi (native guitar). 



The child is born outside of the house. One or two 

 women stand by to take it, wrapped in cloth, into the 

 dwelling, where for three days it remains unbathed. Al- 

 though death at childbirth is known to occur, usually 

 within fifteen minutes the mother rises and repairs to 

 the house. The umbilical cord is cut with a sharp bam- 

 boo and the afterbirth is not taken care of, dogs generally 

 being permitted to eat it. When the child can walk the 

 father and mother give it a name. No abortion is prac- 

 tised, there are no puberty ceremonies, and sexual inter- 

 course is not practised during menstruation. 



SAPUTANS 

 (Notes from the Kasao River, a tributary to the Upper Mahakam) 

 The name Saputan is derived from the word sahput, 

 sumpitan (the blow-pipe), and probably means, "those 

 who have sumpitan." In the upper part of the Kasao 

 River is a big back current called Saputan and the people 

 who originally lived at the headwaters have the same 

 name as the current. At first they were roaming in the 

 mountains, though not conflicting with the Penyahbongs, 

 and later settled in four kampongs which, beginning 

 with the uppermost, at the time of my visit were: 1. 

 Pomosing (mouse) at a tributary of the same name. 2. 

 Data Laong (land of durian). 3. Ong Sangi (ong = 

 river). 4. Nomorunge (a common, small, black and 



