S U M A R ^39 
tlie fiocm^ sm imaginary money, equal to the fourth pare of a dollar ; 
the Q af^ or fanam ; larger than thole of Madras, but couied there ; be- 
ing the twenty fourth part: of a dollar ; of thefe there are likewife dou- 
ble aQd treble pieces ; . and laftly the kepping or copper calh, of which 
one hundred conftimte ^ Spanifli dollar i which is always valued on the 
Weft coaft at five fliillings ilerling, I do not know that gold, or any 
other metal, is coined by any native power on the illandj though it is 
laid to have been formerly done at Achan and Pedir^ 
Tin (timar); copper (tmhaga)i iron (he£ee) have been already Tin. 
fpoken of in the beginning of this work. The tin is a very confidera- 
ble article of trade, and many cargoes of it are yearly carried to China; 
for the moft part in tonipangt or fmall pieces, and fometimes in ilabs. 
The mines, which are faid to be moftly on Banca^ and to have been 
accidentally difcovcred there in 1710 by the burning of a houfe; are 
worked by a colony of Chinefe, under the direction of the Dutch at 
Takmbang^ who endeavour to monopolize the trade -, but the enterpriz* 
ing fpirit of private merchants, finds means to elude the vigilance of 
their cruizers^ and the commerce is largely participated by them. The 
copper, which feems of good qualicy, is chiefly collected in the neigh- copptr. 
bourhood of Nalahs. The Malays are fond of mixing this metal with 
gold, in equal quantities, making what they zcrm ficafo, which is much 
ufed for buttons, beetle boxes, and heads of creefes. Sulphur, (hlay- suiphur, 
ra»g)i arfenic, (barrangan)\ and faJfpetre {mefeeoo moonia) are alfo the SaitFtn 
produce of Sumatra. In the country of CaHimn^ near the head of Oori 
river* there are caves^ from the foil found in which, the falcpetre is pro- 
cured. Some few of our Company's fervants have penetrated a confider- 
able way into them. Mr. Whalfeldt advanced into one, feven hundred and 
forty three feet, when his lights were extinguilhed by the damp vapor. 
In a fecond he advanced fix hundred feet, through a narrow palTagc, 
about three feet wide, and five in height, when an opening in a rock 
kd to a fpacious place, forty feet high,^ Thefe caves are the habi- 
* Mr. Chriftophcr Tmy and Mr. Chark? Miller vifiwd the fame caWi 
N n tation 
