of ground cleared before him, and began a discourse.
When he came to any special point in his discourse he
thrust a stick into the ground and cut it off at a height
of half a foot from the earth, leaving the piece sticking
in. This went on until he had made two little armies
of sticks half a foot high, with a stick in the middle of
each army much higher than the rest, and representing
the two leaders. These two armies were himself and
his followers and myself and my men. Having called
in a loud voice to his god, or Kinarringan, to be present,
he and I took hold of the head and legs of the fowl,
while a third person cut its head off with a knife. We
then dropped our respective halves, and the movements
of the dying fowl were watched. If it jumps towards
the chief his heart is not true, if towards the person to
be sworn in his heart is not tru e ; it must, to be satisfactory,
go in some other direction. Lnckily, in my
case, the fowl hopped away into the jungle and died.
All my men now fired three volleys at the request of
the chief, and I gave some little presents all round and
sent the people away pleased and delighted.
Smith and a party of men went down the river the
next day to fetch up the provisions which are coming
from Sandakan. I and ten men pushed on for Kinoram
by land. We left Tampias and arrived at Degadong’s
kampong just as a torrent of rain came on. The direction
was S.W., and the distance about four miles.
The Dusun headman, “ Degadong,” was very kind.
He presented me with a spear and I gave him a long
knife. This exchange of weapons is customary after
the fowl ceremony. The two black policemen I have
with me are a great nuisance. They are strict Mohammedans,
and refuse to eat in a Dusun house on account
FRANTT HATTON IS MADE A “ BLOOD BROTHER” 03? THE DU SUN CHIEF DEGADONG-.
From, a drawing by W. H. Margetson. To face page 196.