life in four or five minutes. Those who have seen a wound
given accidentally, describe the changes that the poison occasions
as plainly perceptible in its progress. Before using the arrow, its
poisoned point is dipped in lime-juice to quicken it. The range of
the sumpit is from fifty to sixty yards. Although the arrows are
poisoned, yet it is said they sometimes eat the games they kill
with them, parboiling it before it is roasted, which is thought to
extract the poison. Firearms, respecting which they have much fear,
have not yet been introduced among them; indeed, it is said that so
easily are they intimidated by such weapons, that on hearing a report
of a gun they invariably run away. Each individual in a host would
be impressed with the belief that he was the one that was to be shot.

[The diwatas.] They address their prayers to the maker of the world,
whom they call Dewatta, and this is all the religion they have. There
are many animals and birds held by them in high veneration, and they
are close observers of the flight of birds, from which they draw
prognostics. There is in particular a white-headed eagle or kite, upon
whose flight and cries they put great reliance, and consult them in war
or on any particular expedition. For this purpose they draw numbers
of them together, and feed them by scattering rice about. It is said
their priests consult their entrails also on particular occasions,
to endeavor to look into future events.

In the performance of their engagements and oaths, they are most
scrupulous. They seem to have some idea of a future life, and that
on the road to their elysium they have to pass over a long tree,
which requires the assistance of all those they have slain in this
world. The abode of happy spirits is supposed to be on the top of Kini
Balu, one of their loftiest mountains, and the portals are guarded
by a fiery serpent, who does not suffer any virgin to pass into the
celestial paradise.

Polygamy does not exist among them, but they have as concubines slaves,
who are captured in their wars or rather predatory expeditions. If a
wife proves unfaithful to her husband, he kills several of his slaves,
or inflicts upon her many blows, and a divorce may be effected by
the husband paying her a certain price, and giving up her clothes and
ornaments, after which he is at liberty to marry another. The women,
however, exercise an extraordinary influence over the men.

[Headhunting.] But of all thei