A SEA-DAVAX I) I RUE. 
J 8 
51—E n t i kami t i a n g 
tengah enda tau di- 
ransi kit a, Tebah 
Dilah, alai ngading 
orang ti lama rebah ; 
tau me kami digegelar 
kita pemaras pa s u 
da gang. 
As for us—the centre posts 
of the house — you cannot 
blame us, Oh Thou of the 
Melodious Tongue, when 
you recall to mind those 
who fell afore-time ; we 
are only aware that y< u 
bet it led us the one who 
makes use of the true 
paddy measure in trading. 
PART II. 
S.VBAK N ERE NX AH OR A DlRGE TO SETTLE 
the Dead in Hades. 
The time for monotoning this dirge is not fixed, for 
it depends entirely on convenience ; it is not used how¬ 
ever until the corpse has been buried. As soon as a 
professional waller is obtained the dirge begins. He 
sits on a swing in the room of the deceased facing to- 
Avards the sloping roof.* The women friends and rela¬ 
tions of the deceased — generally those who have lost 
parents, sons or daughters — and the bereaved persons 
sit round the wailer. Every now and then the wailer 
mentions some pathetic incident in connection with 
the dead and all burst into a loud and dismal wail. 
Each one is being reminded of her loss. The dirge can 
be either long or short according to the wishes of the 
bereaved persons. 
They have to fast for three days (makai pana) ; pota¬ 
toes and tapioca only are allowed them ; and after 
every meal some food is thrown under the house for 
the share of the deceased. A light or some fuel is kept 
burning for the dead for three days, and after that 
it is throAAm under the house and fasting is end¬ 
ed. A neighbour from another room brings to each 
of the bereaved persons a handful of compressed 
* A Dayak house is built on wooden piles and is very often of consider¬ 
able length. It is divided down the . middle by a common passage called 
the tempuan and on one side of this is the common ••room” (mat J, running the 
whole length of the house opening straight on to the tempuan ; on the other 
side, divided by a wooden partition, are the living rooms. The roof slopes 
down on either side, the highest part being above the tempuan; thus in the 
living rooms the roof slopes down from the inner wall (which separates them 
from the tempuan) to the outer wall which is very often only one or two feet 
high. In order to give light and air into the apartment, a large flap of the 
roof can be raised. And it is facing this sinning roof that the wailer oils. 
