EDIBIJ; SWALLOW. 



617 



The material is so translucent, that when placed on printed 

 paper and held to the light, the capital letters can he plainly 

 read through its suhstance. A glance at the interior shows 

 at once the mode of its construction. It is made of innu- 

 merahle glutinous threads, which have heen drawn irregularly 

 across each other, and have hardened by exposure to the air 

 into a material which much resembles isinglass. The natives say, 

 that the construction of a single nest occupies a pair of birds 

 for two full months ; so that there is some probability that the 

 material may really be secreted by the birds themselves. 



The nests are only used for one purpose. They are steeped 

 in hot water for a considerable time, when they soften into a 

 gelatinous mass, which forms the basis of a fashionable soup, 

 and is not unlike the green fat of the ordinary turtle. Indeed, 

 those who have partaken of birds'-nest soup say, that if it were 

 seasoned in a similar manner, it might easily be taken for turtle 

 soup. The Chinese value this soup highly, thinking that it 

 possesses great power of restoring lost strength. It is, how- 

 ever, far too costly to be obtained by any but the rich, the best 

 quality fetching rather more than sizty shillings per pound. 



The natives of Borneo have some curious traditions almut 

 these birds. They reverence all kinds of birds, believing their 

 ancestors to have been born from a native woman who married 

 a spirit; but they have some singular legends respecting the 

 Edible Swallow. One of these wild legends has been kindly 

 furnished to me by C. T. G. Grant, Esq. formerly of the Sarawak 

 Government Service. 



A DYAK LEGEND. 



"It was many, many years ago, that a Dyak of Semabang 

 (in Sadong) and his young son arrived, after a long journey 

 through the jungle, at a village called Si-Lebor. The village was 

 extensive, the Dyaks very numerous. On arriving, the chief of 

 the tribe placed food before the older visitor, but to his young 

 son they offered nothing. The little fellow seeing this, and 

 being very hungry after his journey, felt much hurt, and began 

 to cry. ' To my father,' said he, " you have given food, the priok 

 of rice is before him, the fatted pig has been killed — everything 

 you have given him. Why do you give me nothing ? ' But the 

 child's appeal was useless. These strange Dyaks had hearts of 



