156 MANUFACTURE OF MATS. 



ganu are of stronger quality and thicker texture, and 

 of course are higher in price, sometimes reaching ten 

 Spanish dollars. 



The satins and silks of other patterns used are 

 the manufacture of China. The kain benang mas 

 and kain bentabur, or cloth of gold thread, are 

 brought from Singapore, and are principally the manu- 

 facture of Sumatra. Most of the women practise 

 embroidery with gold arid silver thread, to adorn the 

 ends of their square pillows or the corners of their 

 beautiful mats of open work, which are brought from 

 the Natunas islands ; but though this accomplishment 

 occupies much of their time, they have not attained to 

 any great perfection in it. Were they instructed in the 

 art from Manilla or China, they would, as they have a 

 natural taste for the employment, soon excel in it. 



The mats mentioned in the preceding paragraph, 

 though not produced on the island itself, are strictly to 

 be counted amongst its manufactures, as the Natunas, 

 where they are made, though not politically, are geo- 

 graphically a portion of it. I have not had opportu- 

 nities of seeing this manufacture carried on, but under- 

 stand that it occupies the time of the women of Sir- 

 hassen, as the produce of the silk cloths does those of 

 Siantan. The mats are made of a beautifully soft and 

 white rush, the larger ones having a broad border of 

 open work of pretty patterns round the edges, and 

 which is larger as the mats decrease in size, they being 

 always made in sets, until the smallest one, which lies 

 above, is formed entirely of the open work, through 



