MENGAP, THE SONG OF THE DYAK HEAD FEAST. 131 



Aku unggai alali bandong laban Lnlong siduai Kiunang. 

 Aku unggai alah telali laban Kalinah ti disebut Indai Abang. 



" I wont be beaten compared with Lnlong and Knniang. 



" I wont be less spoken of than Kalinah who is called Indai Abang." 



This precious ornament is variously described as a " lump 

 of gold," a " lump of silver " and compared in the way of 

 praise to various jungle fruits, A great consultation is held 

 and inquiries made as to where this may be found. The old 

 men are ashed and they know not. The King of the Sea 

 gives a like answer, neither do the birds above mentioned 

 know where it is to be obtained. At length the grandfather 

 of the bird Katupong recollects that he has seen it "afar 

 off" in Msing's house. Msing is the grandfather of the 

 Burong Malam* (night bird,) All the sons-in-law set out 

 at once for Msing's house. Arriving there they approach 

 warily and listen clandestinely to what is going on inside; and 

 they hear Msing's wife trying to sing a child to sleep. She 

 carries it up and down the house, points out the fowls and 

 pigs, &c. yet the child refuses to stop crying much to the 

 mother's anger. " How can I but cry," the child says, " I 

 have had a bad dream, wherein I thought I was bitten by a 

 snake which struck me in the side, and I was cut through 

 below the heart." " If so," answers the mother, " it signi- 

 fies your life will not be a long one." 



" Soon will your neck be stuck in the mud bank. 



" Soon will your head be inclosed in rotan-sega. 



" Soon will your mouth eat the cotton threads, f 



" For this shadows forth that you are to be the spouse of 

 Beragai's J spear ; " and much more in the same strain, but I 

 will return to this again. After hearing this singing they go 

 up into the house and make their request. Msing refuses to 

 give them any of the ornaments, upon which they resort to 

 stratagem. They get him to drink c 'tuak" until he be- 

 comes insensible when they snatch this precious jewel from 

 his turban. Soon after Msing recovers, and finding oat 

 what has been done he blusters and strikes about wishing to 

 kill right and left ; but at length they pacify him telling him 

 the precious ornament is wanted to take to a Gawe in the 

 lower world, upon which he assents to their taking it away, 



* This is not a bird at all, but an insect which is often heard at night, and 

 being used as an omen comes under the designation " Burong " as do also 

 the deer and other creatures besides birds. 



f This refers to cotton which in the feast is tied round the head. 



1 The name of a bird. 



