ye SARAWAK To Mert. 
village. This prejudice extends even to European bacon in tins, 
which they refuse to touch, although jungle pigs are eaten rea- 
dily. 
“The sago plantations in the Muka district are strictly conel- 
dered personal property of individuals, as a general rule, and 
‘questions as to proprietorship form the principal cases in our 
Courts. The plantations are either acquired by hereditary suc- 
cession, or by purchase. Occasionally a plantation will be found 
which is held in common by the members of one family, but 
generally this occurs when the parents have not long died, and 
the children consist principally of girls. In the north, amongst 
the Dusuns, where sago is unknown and padi plentiful, I have 
visited some villages where the padi is common to all. These 
are inland villages. Those near the sea have not this custom. 
‘“As for the presence of women at religious ceremonies, here 
at the swinging ceremonies they are always present, and also 
when feasts are held in honour of the padi spirits. So far as I 
had power of observing, women do not become spectators of 
human sacrifices, even though the victim be a woman. The 
Muruts never sacrifice one of their own people, but either cap- 
‘ture an individual of a hostile tribe, or send to a friendly tribe to 
¢ 
‘purchase a slave for the purpose. The Dusuns do not sacrifice 
human beings, even when they build their houses. 
“In this country, when an aged Milano is sick unto death, and 
‘no hope remains of his recovery, it is the custom for the nearest 
a 
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relative to present the dying person with a shroud, generally a 
‘gold-cloth. Among the northern tribes it is the custom, at this 
erisis, for friends of the dying person to present the nearest 
relation—husband, wife, or child—with small tokens of affection, 
such as a piece of black cloth, tobacco, &c. The corpse is 
invariably kept in the house until it is far advanced in decom- 
position—from ten days to a fortnight—and then, if it can be 
squeezed into a jar, this is done at once, if not, the corpse is put 
‘up a tree or covered with stones, until it is reduced in dimen- 
sions. 
“ Among the Murats the women till the soil and reap the padi, 
‘roam the forest in search of edible leaves and fungi, while the 
men hunt, fish and make war, and when not employed in any of 
