Malay Pemmuln. | ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



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species of palm {Pultun Indica vciiifera,) growing on Sumatra and most of 

 the Eastern islands. It is of all vegetable substances the least subject to 

 decay, and is manufactured into cables; the small cordage of most of the 

 Malay vessels is made of it. Ejoo is equally elastic with coir, but much 

 more serviceable, and floats on the surface of the water. 



Gold-Dust is found in many parts of the East Indies, more parti- 

 cularly in the Islands of Sumatra, Borneo, and Celebes. The size of the 

 grains of gold is various ; the greatest part of them are very small, some as 

 large as the seed of an apple, and some much larger ; but a piece of pure 

 gold is very rarely found one ounce in w eight. The appearance of the gold, 

 dust, when gathered high up in the interior of the country, is rougher and 

 larger than when near the coast ; the grains are then more dispersed, of a 

 smaller size, more worn, and smooth. 



The gold in Sumatra is found mostly in the central parts of the island, 

 it being seldom observed to the S. of Limun, a branch of the Jambee river, 

 nor to the N. of Annalaboo. Padang, on the W. side of the island, is the 

 princi]>al mart for it The metal brought down Ls of two sorts. The first 

 is distinguished by the terms titnas supttyang* and amas sungei~abu, usually 

 called rock-gold, consisting of pieces of rock, or quartz, more or less inter- 

 mixed with veins of gold, generally of fine quality, running through it in 

 all directions, and forming beautiful masses, which, being admired by 

 Europeans, are sometimes sold at the same price as if solid metal. The 

 mines yielding this sort are commonly situated at the foot of a mountain, 

 and the shafts are driven horizontally to the extent of from 8 to 20 fathoms. 

 The other sort, termed lit hin, or smooth gold, is found in the state of 

 smooth solid lumps, in shape like gravel, and of various sizes, sometimes 

 weighing upwards of nine ounces. This form of gravel is the most com- 

 mon in which gold is discovered. Gold-dust, or amas uret, is collected 

 either in the channels of brooks running over ground rich in the metal, in 

 standing pools of water occasioned by heavy rains, or in a number of holes 

 dug in a situation to which a small rapid stream can be directed. 



A considerable part of the produce (perhaps one half ) never comes into 

 the hands of Europeans, but is conveyed to the E. side of the island. It is 

 stated that there have been annually received, on public and private account, 

 12,000 ounces at Padang alone ; at Annalaboo 2,000; at Natal 800; and 

 at Moco Moco GOO ; making in the whole 15,400 ounces per annum. 



Before the gold is weighed for sale, in order to cleanse it from im- 

 purities and heterogeneous mixtures, whether natural or fraudulent (such as 

 filings of copper or of iron), a skilful person is employed, who, by the 

 sharpness of his eve, and long practice, is able to effect this to a surprising 



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