432 TWO YEARS ITT THE JUNGLE. 



ishment and delight. Ah Kee's whole face and head was covered 

 with one vast and all-pervading Chinese smile of delight at our 

 good luck. The secret of all this jo}' lay in the fact that our game 

 w^as thoroughly eatable. We gave the Dyaks the flesh of the bear, 

 which they cooked and ate immediately, and kept the muntjac 

 meat for ourselves. Ah Kee boiled down a quantity of it and made 

 the richest and most delicious souid I ever tasted. An epicure who 

 would not gush over the flavor of the muntjac would be unworthy 

 of the name. It certainly surpasses, in exquisite deHcacy of 

 ' game ' flavor, all the other meats I ever tasted. 



" November 26^/i. — In the jungle during the forenoon, to small 

 pui-pose, and in the afternoon it rained. Le Tiac started off this 

 morning on a six days' tramp after giitta, but about noon he heard 

 the cry of an omen bu-d, of the kind called brah-guy, on the right 

 hand, and he was therefore obliged to retui-n and wait two or three 

 days before starting again. He told me that if the bird cries on 

 the right hand or behind one who is starting on a journey, it is a 

 bad sign and he must return at once ; but if it cries on the left 

 hand or in front of him he can go on without fear. If he should 

 go on after hearing the bad omen he would have bad luck — either 

 be taken sick, cut his hand or foot, or perhaps the gutta-percha 

 trees would not run any sajD when cut. He declared that only 

 once did he venture to go on after hearing the bad omen, and be- 

 fore he returned he accidentally cut his hand with his parong. 



" The Dyaks generally attach great importance to the omens or 

 signs which they recognize in the appearance or cry of certain 

 birds, quadrupeds, and insects, in connection with the more im- 

 portant undertakings of their Uves. In the Kyan country of the 

 upper Rejang, a large head-hunting expedition of over one thou- 

 sand warriors, which had just set out on a grand foray, was instantly 

 turned back and broken up by a little kejang (muntjac) which ran 

 across the line of march in front of the expedition. Newly-married 

 couples are sometimes obliged to separate on account of hearing a 

 * deer cry ' within three days after their nuptials, in order to pre- 

 vent the death of one or the other within a year.* Insects often 

 warn warriors of the presence of their enemies, and again assure 

 them that they may rest securely for the night. 



" What a glorious thing it would be for the American farmer's 

 boy if omen birds could be introduced into the United States. He 



• St. John. 



