IN BORNEAN FORESTS [chap, iv 



provisions, feeding entirely on leaves, the young shoots of palms 

 or bamboos, and the wild fruit they find in the forest. They do not 

 object to any kind of food, and are very fond of hunting wild pigs, 

 which are considered a great delicacy ; but almost every animal 

 is eaten by them. Whilst at home their staple food is rice ; they 

 also cultivate bananas, sweet potatoes, and sugar-cane, as well as 

 tobacco and cotton. 



On the religion, superstitions, and legends of the Dyaks much 

 has been published, both in English and in Dutch. But I made no 

 particular attempt to gather further materials on so interesting a 

 subject, to do which a thorough knowledge of the language, which 

 I could not claim to be possessed of, is necessary. Moreover, during 

 my wanderings I generally kept away from the Dyak villages, around 

 which the primeval forest was either absent or greatly modified, and 

 afforded me little of interest. 



According to St. John 1 the Sea-Dyaks believe in the following 

 deities : — 



(i) In a Supreme Being called " Batara." 



(2) In " Stampandei," who presides over generation. 



(3) In " Pulang Gana," who gives fertility to the soil. 



(4) In " Singalang Burong," the god of war. 



(5) In " Nattiang," 2 who inhabits the tops of mountains and 

 is apparently a good spirit. 



(6) In " Apei Sabit Berkait," a spirit hostile to Nattiang, 

 and of opposite nature. 



The Sea-Dyaks are great lovers of festivities, and appear to know 

 how to enjoy themselves. On such occasions they go through end- 

 less ceremonies with music and singing, and partake of interminable 

 banquets with a huge profusion of food of all kinds, during which 

 they drink abundantly of their native toddy or palm-wine, or of 

 arak. The first is obtained from the fermentation of the saccharine 

 juice which flows from the incised inflorescence of the Arenga 

 saccharifera ; the arak is made from fermented rice, by a pro- 

 cess which the Dyaks probably learnt from the Chinese. By a 

 similar process they also make an arak from the fruits of the Tam- 

 pue, botanically, Hedy carpus malayanus. Jack. 



The principal feasts of the Dyaks are celebrated for the planting 

 of rice, and to commemorate a death, especially if during an expe- 

 dition on which heads have been obtained. On the latter occasions 

 an ancient song in praise of Singalang Burong, the Dyak Mars, is 

 sung. This, which is called " Mengap," has been handed down 

 from generation to generation, and is in a dialect which is almost 



1 Oi>. cit. I., p. 60. 



2 This corresponds, perhaps, to " Nat " of the Burmese. (Cf. Fea, Op. cit. 

 pp. 158, 159, 38SO 



4 S 



