ng an incantation. Generally there is a leader who
sings by himself for a few minutes, then he pauses, and turns round to
his followers, and they all sing in chorus. Then the leader sings by
himself again, and so on. They all walk round, first turning their feet
to the right, and stamping on the floor, then pausing a moment, and
turning their feet to the left, still stamping. This ceremony begins in
the evening and goes on for several hours. When it is over, food is
brought out to the assembled guests, and all partake of the provided
feast.

The proceedings differ very much according to the wealth and standing of
the parents. Among the poor, it is a very quiet affair--two or three
witch doctors attend, and only the near relatives of the child are
present. On the other hand, among those who are rich, this ceremony is
made the occasion of holding a great feast, and inviting people from all
parts to attend. Pigs and fowls are killed for food. Jars of _tuak_ (a
spirit obtained from rice) are brought forth for the guests to drink,
and all are invited to rejoice with the parents.

The naming of the child is not made the occasion for any ceremonies, and
it is not unusual to meet children of seven or eight years old who have
not yet received a name. They are known by some pet name, or are called
_endun_ (little girl) or _igat_ or _anggat_ (little boy).

Even when a name is given to a child, it is often changed for some
reason or other. The Dyaks have a great objection to uttering the name
of a dead person, so, if the namesake of a child dies, at once a new
name is chosen. Again, if the child be liable to frequent attacks of
illness, it is no uncommon thing for the parents to change the name two
or three times in the course of a year. The reason for this is that all
sickness and death are supposed to be caused by evil spirits, who are
put off the scent by this means. When they come to take the child's soul
away, they do not hear the old name uttered any more, and so they
conclude he no longer exists, and return without him!

Dyak children do not have many toys. Little girls are sometimes seen
with rudely-carved wooden dolls, and little boys play with models of
boats. The boys are fond of spinning tops, which they make for
themselves.

The Dyaks are very fond of children, and treat them very kindly. They
rarely if ever punish them. The children have a great deal of liberty,
but are not often unruly, disobedient or disrespect