TRIBES IN DUTCH BORNEO 443 



down in rapid succession. Three months later — at the 

 end of the year — another festival occurs. 



The Katingan calendar may be rendered thus: 



1. Cutting the jungle, June and July during 2 months 



2. Drying the trees and burning them " 1 month 



3. Planting paddi " 2 months 



4. New paddi in 3 months 



5. Harvesting during 1 or 2 months 



6. Waiting " 3 months 



In order to ascertain the auspicious date for plant- 

 ing paddi these Dayaks employ an astronomical device 

 founded on the obvious fact that in their country there 

 comes a period when a rod placed in an upright position 

 casts no shadow. That is the time for planting. In ad- 

 dition to this method of determination they consult a 

 constellation of three stars which "rise" in the east and 

 "set" in the west during half a year, and are invisible 

 during the following six months. When the three stars 

 appear perpendicularly above the rod in the early morn- 

 ing, before sunrise, then the time to plant is at hand; 

 when they are in the zenith in the late afternoon before 

 sunset, the season for making ladang has come. 



For these observations, however, a single rod is not 

 used, but an arrangement of rods called togallan, seven 

 in number, which are planted in the ground, the middle 

 one upright, the rest diverging on either side like a fan. 

 Beginning on the left side, six months are indicated, but 

 the togallan does not remain standing more than three; 

 in fact as soon as the planting is finished it is removed. 

 Although the most propitious time is when the sun is 



