ETHNOLOGICAL NOTES. 
155 
to him ; he has the greatest difficulty in obtaining a 
wife, unless she is of a Tan Tepang family too; in 
many villages he lives the life of a leper, and in olden 
days had to live apart from the rest cf the village. 
Dayaks aver that every Tan Tepang person is destined 
to supernatural punishment and that he will not share 
with the rest of mankind the comfort and happiness 
of Hades. 
Hardly a paddy farm exists that is net guarded 
by some kinds of charms called serepak , perepak and 
sekuti. These charms are made in various forms, some 
in the likeness of animals, and all are closely dressed 
with sharp spikes made from the temiang bamboo, so 
that they may prick the face and eyes of any Tan 
Tepang person who may try to do harm to their crops. 
When these charms are set up in the paddy fields 
prayers are said over them in order to render them 
effectual against the dread Tan Tepang. 
When a man accused of this, wishes to vindicate 
himself, a diving contest is arranged and a large bet is 
laid. If he wins he takes the stakes and he and all his 
kin are washed from the stain of Tau Tepang for ever. 
W. Howell. 
Sabu, 1910. 
[The following additional information has been 
given me by Mr. Ansin of the Sarawak Museum, re¬ 
ferring in this case to the Lemanak Sea-Dayaks—near 
neighbours of the Undups. 
Their story is, that long ago a widow named Garuda 
committed incest with her son Impang, and their sin 
was visited on the Lemanak people ; for immediately 
after, a great serpent, Tadong Bulan by name, descended 
from the sky and destroyed all their paddy. The peo¬ 
ple on arriving in the morning, saw to their horror, the 
complete disaster that had befallen them in the night, 
so they took counsel with their chief, one Blikau, and 
determined to' watch next night for their unknown 
enemy. Sure enough, soon after dark, the serpent again 
descended, causing the utmost consternation among 
the waiting men, some of whom were inclined to leave 
it unharmed, but others urged on by Blikau attacked 
