158 IRON AND BRASS 



ments, for which purpose alone the gold is used, 

 are the pieces or thin plates for the jackets of the 

 women ; these are of various forms, according to the 

 taste of the wearers ; the patterns are stamped upon 

 them from the inside ; they are worn, by such as can 

 afford it, in three rows of nine plates each upon the 

 breast, and two rows of smaller plates of the same 

 number, in the shape of stars, are frequent in addition 

 to the others. About three bengkals (five ounces) of 

 pure gold would be necessary to make the ornaments 

 for the jacket of a dattu's daughter ; besides these the 

 ear ornaments and buttons for the wrists, with brace- 

 lets for the. younger girls, consume a great quantity. 

 The ear ornaments are small and neat ; they are not 

 pendant, but generally of the shape of an eight-rayed 

 star ; they fasten by a nut which screws into the 

 tube passing through the lobe of the ear, instead of a 

 ring. To all their gold they give the high rich colour 

 so much admired amongst the Sumatran nations : 

 this is termed sapoh, and is performed by a powder 

 made of nitre, common salt, and alum, which is laid 

 on the gold, being kept over a slow fire until it dis- 

 colours, and becomes yellow or red, according to the 

 time it remains in this situation, and the intensity of 

 colour the gold is wished to retain. 



Blacksmiths are more common among the natives 

 than any other workers in metals. The iron they use 

 is all purchased from Singapore, the ore of the country 

 not being smelted, though I have been told that the 

 Chinese once smelted the ore of a richer quality in the 

 neighbourhood of Tanjong Dattu. The bellows used 



