pirits. When a man has recovered from a long and dangerous
illness, very often a feast is held to thank the spirit of disease for
leaving them, and to beg him to stay away a long time.

To all these feasts the whole neighbourhood for miles around are
invited. Some weeks before the day appointed for the feast, small
parties of three or four are despatched in different directions, and
these go from house to house and invite people to the feast.

The men and women come to a feast dressed in the brightest colours and
wearing many ornaments, and the whole assembly has a very gay
appearance. For amusements they have dancing, cock-fighting, and trials
of strength among the young men.

The Dyaks have two dances--the _Mencha_ or Sword Dance, and the _Ajat_
or War Dance. In the former, two swords are placed on a mat, and two men
begin slowly from the opposite ends turning their bodies about,
extending the arms, and lifting their feet and planting them down in
grotesque but not ungraceful attitudes. After moving about for some
minutes, they seize the swords and pass and repass each other, now
cutting, now crossing swords, retiring and advancing. The main idea of
this Sword Dance seems to be the posturing in different attitudes, and
not so much the skill displayed in fencing. I have often watched a Dyak
Sword Dance, where neither has touched the other with his sword, the
movements having been so leisurely that there has been plenty of time to
ward off each attack.

[Illustration: A DYAK GIRL IN GALA COSTUME]

The _Ajat_ or War Dance is danced by one man. He is generally fully
armed with sword, spear and shield. He acts in pantomime what is done
when on the war-path. The dancer begins by imitating the creeping
through the jungle in cautious manner, looking to the right and to the
left, before and behind, for the foe. The lurking enemy is suddenly
discovered, and after some rapid attack and defence, a sudden plunge is
made upon him, and he lies dead on the ground. The taking of the head of
this invisible enemy ends the dance. Both kinds of dancing are
accompanied by the striking of brass gongs and drums.

Cock-fighting is a favourite sport, and there is a great deal of it at
all Dyak forests. The cocks have artificial steel spurs which are very
sharp.

CHAPTER X

THE WITCH DOCTOR

The children of Borneo are taught from their earliest years that there
are evil spirits everywhere--in the air, in the trees, in the roc