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weaving, end musical instruments of this old and cultured tribe of 
western Sumatra . 
After the Zoo we visited the mrrket, which is in operation two 
days a week, and thronged witti thousands of people. Many of the 
tradesmen co e in with buffalo carts, and there was one large area 
where the caribou and their lumbering, high-roofed carts were parked 
for the day. We wandered through the produce market, where lumber, 
cabbages, betel nut, pineapple, bananas, rice and coffee were being 
pawed over by hundreds of prospective customers. Here and there 
were little open air restaurants, where small groups gathered to 
eat good-looking reistafel out of banana leaves, dipping into the 
rice with their fingers, and laughing and gossipping as they ate. 
We went back to the hotel for lunch, and enjoyed reading the 
printed sheet of description of nearby spots of interest which the 
Hotel furnishes its guests. We -ere advised to see the "Holly 
Fisches% and the ?, old Hindu moments'* , and to go to Mening jau 
although there is T? no public opportunity to swim into the Lake." 
One placard in the room urged us to T 'Enjoy the Nature and take an 
auto oblle r , and another one (this in a hotel that advertises 
hot and. cold running water) informed us that the temperature of 
the bath was best between 12 and 4. I tried it early in the morning 
and it was like ice, so gathered that the water was cold in the 
iuornmg and evening and hot only at noon. 
In the afternoon we drove to Matoer, about SO km s. from here, 
where there are supposed to be some fine old houses, but to our 
great disgust most of them now have g* lvanized iron roofs instead 
of the far more picturesque thatch. Curiously enough the original 
shape of the roof is retained, and the effect of the sweeping high 
gables wrought in galvanized iron is weird beyond belief. 
From Matoer, which is high m the mountains, we drove down a 
steep and norrow road to Lake Meningjau, a gem of vivid blue set 
deep in the hills. The afternoon was late, and rain was threaten- 
ing, so we did not get out to explore the country as we should have 
liked to do. 
Back at the hotel we engaged in our favorite game of bargain- 
ing with the peddlers, who bring batik, native jewelry, and interest- 
ing exa pies of Meningkabau weaving to sell to us. The weaving is 
varied, and in many instances beautiful. The Menkb f s weave a great 
deal of silk, and make cloths of rich rose and blue color, into 
which is put quant ties of gold thread imported from China. They 
also do some weaving in wool, and stud their garments with bits of 
mica from British India. The effect is often garish, but some of 
it is nuite lovely. We got soiie of the silk weaving, a soft old 
piece that looked more like Italian s:lk than Indian, and a huge 
white cloak from Pa j a combo, with red silk woven into the border. 
A silk sarong and a couple of kain kepala were done in good Batik 
patterns. Beirne and I had lots of fun seeing who could drive the 
best bargain, but she finally paid what the man wanted for one of 
the mica-decorated pieces, and I never did get one. I couldn f t 
really imagine what I would do with it at hoi e unless I gave it to 
the circus for elephant trappings. 
June Z - 
We wasted the entire morning trj^mg to find the Resident in 
