COMPUTING TINE IN BORNEO. 3 



The virgin forest, though less easy to fell, has this advantage 

 over previously cleared ground, that no grass is growing on the 

 land and much trouble in weeding is avoided. Bat the men do 

 the felling, the women most of the weeding, and whether a 

 choice is made of forest or scrub will depend largely on the 

 courtesy and consideration shown by the men for their wives 

 and daughters. If the forest is chosen, the men, sometimes 

 helped by their womenfollc. cut down the undergrowth and 

 small trees with their parangs, and then begin to attack the 

 great trunks from slight platforms well above the ground, which 

 enable them to avoid buttresses and roots. The felling is usual- 

 ly accomplished in this manner. The ground being as a rule 

 the sloping side of a hill, each tree is cut through from one side 

 nearly to the core, and on the opposite side an equal distance 

 a little lower down the trunk. The lower cut is made on the 

 side facing down hill. By dint of much labour, in which the 

 various members of a village generally come to help their 

 comrades, a whole hill side of trees is cut through till a slight 

 blow will hurl them to the ground. Two heavy trunks at the 

 summit are then felled, and made to fall on the neighbouring 

 trees. These fall in their turn, and carry with them those 

 below, till with a loud roar and a mighty rush of wind a V 

 shaped space is cleared on the slope below. Like a pack of 

 cards the forest monsters are laid low, to the intense excite- 

 ment and delight of the howling spectators. 



Then again the Dayaks await the permission of the stars 

 for the next operation. Only when the Pleiades are at the 

 zenith before dawn do they think if advisable to burn and sow. 

 By this time, unless the weather has been wet, an unlikely 

 circumstance at the season of year, the boughs are dry as match 

 wood and the leaves are dead, though still on the twigs. Some 

 hot day, towards noon, when a breeze is blowing, they take 

 down special charms to secure wind, and also endeavour to at- 

 tract the^Ejlian spirits by keeping up a loud whirr. The mass 

 of dead wood is then set on fire. The flames rise to the skies 

 and fill the country with smoke, while the added heat of the 

 fire is almost insupportable. Insects with singed wings buzz 

 around, and the hawks dive into the smoke to find their prey. 

 The spectacle is grand indeed. Sometimes wet weather keeps 



R A. Sot, No. 42, 1904. 



