SEA DAYAKS OF SARAWAK. 119 
(12) Flowers must not be worn nor scent used ; otherwise 
the movements of the men will be revealed to the enemy by 
their smell. 
(13) It is unlucky to break the ‘kain apit’ (the piece of 
leather or bark of tree with which the women support their 
backs when weaving); should this occur the men will be 
caught by the chin on some overhanging bough. 
(14) Should a wife prove unfaithful in the absence of her 
husband he will lose his life in the enemy’s country. 
The men. 
(1) Must not cover up the rice when cooking or their 
vision will. become obscured and the way difficult to see. 
(2) The spoon must not be left standing up in the rice 
pot ; otherwise the enemy will so leave a spear sticking in their 
bodies. 
(3) During cooking time should the pots be adistance apart 
{rom each other they must be connected by sticks ; so will the 
men have neighbours near at hand should they be surprised by 
the enemy. It is customary to put the pots very near 
together. 
(4) It is pemali to pick out the bits of husk from the 
rice when feeding lest the enemy in like manner pick out that 
man from a group. 
(5) As the rice is taken from the pot the cavity thus left 
in the food must be immediately smoothed over ; otherwise 
wouuds will not heal quickly. 
(6) It is unlucky to sleep with legs crossed or touching 
those of a neighbour lest the spears of the enemy smite the 
unfortunate offender of this tabu. 
Whether the men as a whole obey these rules I cannot 
say but certain it is that the women of Banting and of other 
villages in that neighbourhood followed the restrictions herein 
imposed. However ludicrous they may seem to us now these 
magical superstitions are not more gross than those which held 
sway in the minds of our own ccuntrymen of mediaeval 
times and even today it would not be difficult to parallel 
them amongst the country folk of merrie England. 
JOHN HEWITT. 
R, A. Soc., No, 52, 1908. 
