Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalof404219041905roya).pdf/451

 Addendum to Mr. Hose's paper on Methods of Reckoning Time.

Since this paper was written a good deal more information about the Kenyah Sundial has come to hand, and it is evident that the methods employed by the different tribes in measuring the noon-day shadow and the omens attached to the respective lengths of the shadow vary considerably. This is but natural since the different tribes plant their crops at different times of the year. A figure of a measuring-stick (asu do) of the Aki Kenyahs, a down-river tribe who plant in July, is now given; the actual specimen is in the Sarawak Museum, and I am indebted to the curator, Mr. R. Shelford, for the drawing.

Stick (asu do) used by the Kenyahs to measure the shadow cast by the Sundial (tukar do).

The stick is 72 centimetres in length and 1.7 centimetres broad; one border is notched. The end marked by an asterisk in the figure is held in the hand so that the stick lics along the extended arm, the notches corresponding to certain regions of the arm and hand. The relation of the length of the shadow cast at noon-day by the tukar do to the spaces between the notches determines the omen given by the dayong as described in the paper. The letters A to H refer to the spaces between the notches.

A. Known as Kujut Kata, the knuckles; this is a good time for planting, but there will be deaths in the house and the people of the house will always be crying and rubbing their eyes with their knuckles; in pounding out the padi, some padi will always remain mixed with the rice.

B. Corresponds to the position of the string often worn round the wrist to tie in the soul of the wearer, a bead or some