S U M A T R A. 145 
the wKale becomes united. This kind of work on a gold plate, thty 
call ca rang pa^m : when the work is open, they call it cnrrang itouje. 
In executing tlie latter, the foliage is kid out on a card, orfoft kind of 
wood, and ftucJt on^ as before defcTibed with the fago berrjr; at»d the 
worjt, when finiihed, being ftrcwed over th^ii" foldcfj i^ put into the fire, 
when the card or foft wood burning away, the gold recnaSns connetflcd. 
If the piece be large^ they folder it at feveral times. In the manufacture 
of ba^so buttons, they firft make tlie lower part flat, and having a mould 
formed of a piece of bufialoe's horn, indented to feveral fizes, each like 
one half of a buJlet mould, they Uy their work over one of thcfc holes, 
and with a hum punch, they prefs it into the form of the button. After 
this tbey complete the upper pait* When the fiUagrce is finifhed, they 
cleanieit, by boiling it in waterj with cooinion fak and allum, or fome- 
tunes lime juice; and in order to give it that fine purple color which 
they call fapo^ they boil it in water with brim! tone. 7 he manner of 
making the Uttle balls, with which their works are fometimcs 
ornamented, is asfollowSi They take a piece of charcoal, and having cut 
it flat and fmooth, they make in it a fmall hole, which they fill with 
gold dull, and this melted in the fire, becomes a Uttle ball. They are- 
very inexpert at finifhing and poliihing the plain parts, hinges, fcrewsj 
and the like, being in this as much excelled by ihe European artifts, as 
thcfc fall ihort of them, in the finenefs and minutenefs of the foliage. 
The Chinefe alfo make fillagree, moftly of iilver, which looks elegant, 
hut wants likcwife, the extraordinary delicacy of the Malay work. The 
price of the workmaafhip dependti upon the difficulty or uncommon nefs . 
of the pattern. In fome articles of ufual demand, it does not exceed 
one third of the value of the gold ; but in matters of fancy, . it is gene- 
rally equal to it. The manufad:ure is not now held in very high efti-- 
mation in England, where coftlinefs is not fo much the objc^ of luxury, 
as variety; but in the revolution of tafte, it may probably be again 
fought after and admired as faihionable* 
But little fkill is fliewn amongft the country people in forging iron. Tron Manu. 
They make nails however, though not much ufed by them in budding, 
wooden pins being generally fubHituted ; alfo various kinds of tools^ as 
the 
