SUMATRA. 
57 
grains fliall adhere together. The manner of effeding this, is by put- 
ting into the earthen or other veflel in which it is boiled, no more water 
than is lufEctent to cover it; Jetting it iimmer over a flow fire; takiiig 
off the water by degrees with a fiat ladle or fpoon, that the grain may 
dry, and removing it when jufl Ihort of burning. At their entertain- 
ments^ the guells are treated with rice prepared alio in a variety of 
modes, by frying it in cakes,, or boiling it, mixed with the kernel of 
the coco*nut and freih oil, in fmall joints of bamboo. This is called 
hmmang^ Before it is ferved up, they cut off the outer rind of the bam- 
boo, and the foft inner coat is peeled away by the perfon who eats. 
They drefs their meat ■immediately after killing it, while it is ftilt 
warm, which Is con forma bJe with the pra^icc of the ancients, as re- 
corded in Homer and clfe where, and in this ftate it is faid to eat tenderer 
than when kept for a day : longer, the climate will not admit of, un* 
lefs when it is preferved in that mode called dhidh'g: This is the flcfii 
of the buffaloe cut into fmall thin (lakes, and expofcd to the heat of 
the fun in f lir weather ; generally on the thatch of their houfes ; till it 
is become fo dry and hard as to refill putrefaction, without any aflSftance 
from fait, Fiih is preferved in the fame manner, and cargoes of both 
are fent from parts of the coaft where they are plenty, to thofe where 
provifions are In more demand. It is feemingly flrange, that heat, 
which, in a certain degree, promotes putrefaction, Ihould, when vio- 
lently encreafed, operate to prevent it i but it muft be confidercd that 
moifture alfo is requlfite to the former effeCl, and this is abforbed in thin 
fubftances, by the fun's rays, before It can contribute to the produdtion 
of maggots. 
Elachang^ a prefer vation, if it may be fp termed, of an oppofitc kind, 
is efteemed a great delicacy among the Malays, and is by them exported 
to the weft of India, The country Sumatrans feldDm procure It. It is 
a fpecies of cavear, and is extremely ofFenfive and difgufting to perfons. 
who are not accuftomcd to it j paaicularly the black kind, which is the 
moft common. The bell fort, or the red blachang, is niade of the. 
Q ' fpawn 
