235 



It is noteworthy that they attach particular importance to the 

 Garam Apong: ordinary salt will not produce the desired effect. 



The Composition of Nipah salt {vide E. Smith — Sarawak Gazette, 

 July, igo< : .) is— 



Sodium chloride ... ... 74/3 %. 



Potassium chloride ... ... 10*2 %. 



Potassium sulphate .. ... 13*3 %. 



Potassium Carbonate ... i*6 %. 



Organic impurities ... ... '6%. 



A simpler and quicker method of red dyeing is by means of leaves 

 of the Engkrebai {Psychotria viridiflora). In ccllecting these leaves 

 it is important to choose only old ones, preferably those which are 

 yellow from age. The leaves are boiled with water and when the 

 liquid is sufficiently concentrated, powdered sireh lime is added ; the 

 lime must not be added too early or the liquid is spoilt. Cloth is 

 dyed red by soaking in this liquid for a sufficient length of time. 

 This colour is not much liked by Dyaks as it has a faded appear- 

 ance : however if the leaves used have been well chosen quite a 

 passable red brown results and this they prefer before the dull red 

 produced when young leaves are used. Sometimes they immerse 

 the material in the hot watery extract of Engkrebai leaves alone,, 

 when the resulting colour is a red brown : in the absence of lime 

 however this colour is not permanent. 



I am told by Dr. HOSE that Dyaks sometimes use as a red dye 

 the liquid produced by mixing lime with Kunyit solution, when as 

 in the wellknown turmeric test for alkalies, an immediate change 

 from yellow to brown take's place throughout the liquid. 



Other inferior reds can be obtained by using extract of Engkudu 

 roots with or without lime and without any such preliminary treat- 

 ment as before described ; without lime a dull bed brown results and 

 with lime a brick red. It is not a permanent colour. 



Much of the yellow fibre of a Dyak cloth of to-day was purchased 

 as such from the Chinese bazaar. This is because they have not 

 themselves produced a permanent yellow. Intamu solution has 

 been largely used by Dyaks but although the colour when fresh is 

 pleasing, yet it fades much after a few months' time. Usually the 

 fibre to be dyed yellow is soaked in Intamu solution but sometimes 

 they simply rub the moistened rhizome along the thread. The allied 

 Kunyit is often preferred before Intamu its yellow being more per- 

 manent ; the method of working is the same in the two cases. 



Rather a curious formula for a black dye is, leaves of the Sibau 

 (rambutan) tree boiled in water together with mud from the river 

 banks. It is in common use for dyeing cloth fibres; it does not 

 however yield a good black. 



If Gurah leaves be boiled in water with mud, the resulting liquor 

 can be used as a blue dye but the colour is not so good as that of 

 Tarum : if this dye be used on fibre which has been coloured red by 

 Engkrebai a black or blue is produced. 



