INTERIOR OF BORNEO. 57 



a historical recitation of the brave deeds done by their fore- 

 fathers in the days of yore down to the present time, when they 

 first came into touch w r ith Europeans and the Government. 

 The rhythm gradually got faster and faster until the march be- 

 came a quick-step and then a double, whilst the soloist kept 

 time by beating the floor with a stick. Presently the men got 

 carried away with enthusiasm and joined on to the line behind, 

 until there must have been a procession of over a hundred 

 performers careering round the house, shouting the choruses 

 at the top of their voices, but all keeping tune and time. The 

 song then suddenly ceased, and the men returned to their 

 drinking and the women to their duties in the rooms. 



The next morning I went and visited the villages near by, 

 but was not much impressed by their appearance as the houses 

 seemed horrid dirty hovels. At one of these villages I saw 

 the people having a rat hunt. All the men, women and 

 children armed with sticks were engaged in turning over the 

 heaps of rubbish and filth accumulated under the house in 

 search of the wily rodent, which is considered a great delicacy 

 by the Kalabits. Whenever a rat was seen, there was a 

 tremendous ' view halloa ' and the whole crowd flung them- 

 selves violently into the chase, frequently whacking one 

 another in their attempts to slay their prey. They also lay 

 very ingenious traps, made of bamboo and rattan, all over their 

 houses to catch them. 



I was very much struck with the industry of the women ; 

 they never seem to stop working and never shield themselves 

 from the sun by means of sun-hats or head handkerchiefs. 

 They wear a short skirt reaching to the knee just like the Dyak 

 women. They are great smokers and are continually using a 

 sort of brass cigarette holder, into which they stuff a little 

 tobacco and puff away for a few minutes. 



These people store their paddy in one large hut, which is 

 raised off the ground some six feet, to prevent rats and other 

 pests climbing up. Inside, this hut is divided into separate 

 rooms for the different owners. 



That night another meeting was held and all the different 

 chiefs proclaimed their loyalty to the Sarawak Government. 



R. A, Soc, No. 49, 1907. 



