XII.—Ethnological Notes. 
A Dayak Bong. 
The following song (lagu) was taken down in a Sea-Dayak 
house near the head-waters of the Oya River (Sarawak). 
It is sung, or perhaps rather hummed, without accompani¬ 
ment in a monotone by four or five unmarried Dayak girls. 
Standing one behind the other they move slowly round in 
a circle, beating time with their feet and waving their arms 
in graceful movements. The girl in front leads the lagu , 
which can go on indefinitely; it is not sung straight 
through, as she may select any two lines and repeat the 
same several times in succession. 
Like other Dayak songs, it is practically impossible to 
translate; several words are inserted which have no 
meaning, as they are brought in solely for rhyming 
purposes; these usually end in “n” or “ng,” and enable 
the singers to produce the humming effect by dwelling on 
these consonants. Other words belong to an old language 
which is only kept alive in such songs as these, and to 
most Dayaks they are now meaningless; in some cases, no 
one at all can suggest a translation. 
1. Undang jangut IJndang. 
2. Kuku gramar batang. 
8. IJndai jangut Undai. 
4. Kuku gramar sungai. 
5. Sugu gain, ulu Mugang. 
6. IJntun munyun tiup daun. 
7. Tapis nawan, tapai nabai. 
8. Intabar unti mulai. 
9. Injang sanyan, injang saja. 
10. Dikor nabau dikor sawar. 
11. Dikor sawar tedong. 
12. Kelong besai nampar. 
13. Ingjin niok ingjin. 
14. Dudi jadi dhulu ingjin. 
15. Inja niok inja. 
16. Dudi jadi dhulu darah. 
1. “ The beard of the prawns.” 
2. “ The claws of the prawns that live in the wood in 
the river-bed.” 
Sar. Mus. Journ., No. 6, 1915. 
