♦ 
y3 SUMATRA- 
Inferior golrf. Gold of a very inferior touch, called mas moodo^ or young gold, W 
found in the fame countries where the other is produced, and fells for 
about twenty five or thirty per cent kfs value. From its palenefs, it 
would feem to contain a mixture of filver, but the grains refift the 
force of aqua fortis, being attended with no efFervefcence. The people 
of India fuppofe the difference to proceed from an original, eflential in- 
feriority in the quality of the metal : but I believe that our chymifls 
allow of no difparity of this kind^ nor any but what proceeds from the 
greater or kfs quantity of alloy. In Lampoon ^ a very little gold is now 
and then difcovered, but of this latter kind, the mas nio^do^ only. 
Mo<!cof Before the gold dufl is weighed for fale; in order to cleanfe it from 
cUraflfiog th« impurities, and heterogeneous mixtures, whether natural or fraudu- 
lent; a fkilful pcrfon, called a Pandi^ is employed; who by the fharp- 
ncfs of his eye alone, is able to eife<5l this to a furprlz^lng degree of 
nicety ; owing to long experience and pradlice. No Englifliman but 
one, a Mr. Saul, was ever known to attain to this art* The dull is 
fpread out on a kind of wooden platter, and the bafe particles {Janchong) 
are touched out, and put afide, one by one, with an inftrument which 
the Pandi holds in his hand^made of linen cloth rolled up to a point. If 
the honefty of thefe gold cleaners can be depended upon, their dexterity 
is almofl: infallible; and as fonie fecurity for the former, it is ufual to 
pour the parcels when cleanfed, into a veflel of aqua fortis, whkh is 
a powerful teft of their accuracy. In tho/e parts where gold is much tra- 
ficked in, it is generally employed as currency, every man carries his fcales 
abouthim, and purchafes are made with it, fo low as Co the weight of a gram 
Gold weights. Or two of paddce. Various berries are alfo ufed as weights, particularly a 
little red fpecies, with a black fpot, which we call India peas. The moft 
eftabliihed weight in trade, is the tial or tael^ which differs however in 
the northern and fouthern parts of the illand, being at i^tf/^/ twenty four 
penny weights, nine grains, and zi Padang^Bencoclen and elfe where, twenty 
fix penny weights, twelve grains. At Achaa the Buncal^ of one ounce, 
ten penny weight and twenty one grams, is the ftandard. The Spanifli 
Coin>. dollars are every where current, and where the gold dufi: is not in 
circulation, the following diminutions are for the moft part adopted : 
the 
