144 DRESS OF MALAY WOMEN. 



called. The only other article of apparel is the kain 

 sarong. This is worn by them loosely folded round 

 the waist when in the house, but abroad it is opened 

 so as to cover the whole upper part of the person, as a 

 veil, being extended over the head, and supported by the 

 hands. It is of the same form as the cloth first de- 

 scribed, but when not of a rich silk of a tartan pattern, 

 it is made of the cloth called kain bentabur, which is 

 satin, with threads of gold wire forming the pattern of 

 it. These cloths cost about forty to fifty Spanish 

 dollars, SI. to 1 0/. sterling. They wear no head-dress, 

 and their hair, which is but loosely confined, without 

 the aid of combs or other contrivances, but the greater 

 part being doubled and passed under a few hairs 

 separated from the rest, hangs at the back of the head, 

 in a large and loose knot. 



It is difficult to conceive how the women of the upper 

 class pass .their time confined in the harems of the great : 

 the apartments allotted to them are small and dark, and 

 each wife or concubine has a number of slaves of her 

 own, with whom the other wives do not interfere ; their 

 cookery, and all their proceedings, appear to be carried 

 on entirely independent of each other. The indolent, 

 enervated persons who now form the principal part of 

 the nobles of Bruni and Sambas, confine themselves to 

 the apartments of the women during the whole of the 

 day, what little business they transact being done about 

 ten or eleven at night, which is to them what the day 

 is to other people. They are fond of playing at chess, 

 and those of them who are industrious, as were several 



