60 SKETCH OF EORNEO. 



house till the son, the father, or the nearèst of 

 blood can procure or purGbase a slave, who is 

 belieaded at the time that the corpse is burnt, 

 ïn order that he may become the slave of the 

 deceased io the next world. The ashes of the 

 deceased are theo placed in an earthen urn, 

 on which various figures are exhibited, and 

 the head of the slave is dried and prepared ia 

 a pecüliar tnanner with camphor and drugs 

 and deposited near it. It is said that this prac- 

 tice often induces them to purchase a slave 

 guiltj of some capita! crime, at five fold hii 

 value, in order that they may be able to put^ 

 him to death on such occasions. 



With respect to marriage, the most brtjfal 

 part of their customs is that nobodj can be per- 

 Siitted to marrj till he can present a hu ma» 

 head of some other tribe to his proposed bride, 

 in which case she is not permitted to refase hiitj, 

 it is not, however, necessary that this should be 

 obtained entirely by his own personal prowess, 

 When a person is determiaed togo a head-hunt- 

 ing, as it is very often a very dangerous service, 

 he consults v^^ith his friends and acquaintances, 

 who frequently accompany him or send their 

 slavesalong with him. The head-hunter thea 

 procee ds with lus part^ in tke most cautious man- 



