ited, and asked to help with gifts of food
or money. Hard wood memorial monuments for the graves are got ready by
the men. The women weave, with finely-split bamboo, small imitations of
various articles of personal and domestic use, and those are hung over
the graves, and in this way given to the dead for their use in the other
world. If the dead person be a man, a bamboo gun, a shield, a war-cap
and such things are woven; if a woman, a loom, a fish-basket, a
winnowing fan, etc.; if a child, bamboo toys of various kinds.

Before the feasting begins in the evening, there takes place the formal
putting off of mourning. The nearest male relative of the dead person in
whose honour the feast is held, comes dressed in an old and shabby waist
cloth. This is cut through by some chief, and the man puts on a better
garment. In the case of female relatives, also, their old shabby
garments are cut through and thrown aside, and they resume the use of
bright clothing and personal ornaments. The bundles containing finery,
that were put away at the death of their relative, are brought forth,
and the string tying them cut through, and the owners put on their
bright garments again. As the feast is in honour of several who have
died since the feast was last held, this kind of thing goes on in
several of the rooms at the same time.

The professional wailer sits on a swing in the verandah outside the
rooms, and in a monotonous voice invites all the spirits of the dead to
attend this feast given in their honour.

The morning after the feast, the last duty to the dead is performed. The
wooden monuments, the bamboo imitation articles, and food of all kinds
are arranged upon the different graves. Having received these gifts, the
dead relinquish all claim upon the living, and depend on their own
resources.

4. A superstitious people like the Dyaks, living in constant dread of
unseen powers, naturally hold a feast when anything unusual takes place.
As the gods and spirits are supposed to communicate their wishes to
human beings by means of dreams, it naturally follows that if a man
dreams that some spirit is hungry and asks for food, at once a feast is
held, and offerings are made to that spirit. As the omens of birds are
observed and obeyed by the Dyaks, and the omen birds are looked upon as
messengers of the great god Singalang Burong, when a bird of ill omen
comes into a Dyak house, a feast is held, and offerings are made to the
gods and s