SUMATRA. 
frequent thera in order to look out for wives, and the laHes of courfe 
fet thenifelves off to the beft advantage. Thev wear their befl filken 
drefles, of their own weaving ; as many ornaments of fillagrec as they 
poffcfs ; iilver rings upon their arms and legs, and earioga of a particular 
conItru£Uon. Their hair is varioufly adorned with flowers, and per- 
fumed with oil of benjamin* Civet is alfo in repute, but more ufed by 
the men. To reader their Jk.ifl fine> fmooth, and foft, they make ufe Cofmetk of^cf. 
of a white coGiietic called poQpuor* The mode of preparing it is as fol- pr^aHngL"^ 
lows. The bails is fine rice, which is a long time ftceped in water^ 
then dried, reduced to a powder^ and by wetting made into a pafte. 
They mix with this, ginger j and the leaf of a plant called deditm (patch 
leaf)j which gives it it's peculiar fmeil, and alfo, as is fuppofed, a coo- 
ling quality. They add likewife the flowers of the jagong (maize) ; 
cayco Lhmium (fandal wood) ; and the feeds of a plant called there capay 
mtooy (fairy cotton) which is the ahdm&fc^ or mulk feed. All thefe in- 
gredients, after being well mixed together, are made up into little balls, 
and when they would apply the cofmetic, thefe are diluted with a drop 
of water, rubbed between the hands,, and then on the face, neck, and 
Ihoulders* They tiave an apprehenlion, probably weil founded, that a 
too abundant or frequent appliention* will, by flopping the pores of the 
fkin, bring on a fever. It is uied, with good effefl:, to remove that 
.troublcfome complaint, fo well known to Europeans in India, by the 
name of the prickly iteat; but it i$ not always fafc for Grangers thus fo- 
check the operations of natur-e, in a warm climate- The Sumatran 
girls, as well as our Englifli maidens, entertain 3 favorable opinion of 
the virtues 0/ morning dew, as a beaucifier, and believe that by rubbing 
it to the roots of the hair, it will ftrengthen and thicken it* With 
this view they take pains to catch it before fyn>rife, in veffels, as ii 
falls. 
If a wedding is the occafion of the bimbang^ the couple are married, ca funim.rio^ 
perhaps the fecond or third day; but it n:yay be two or three more, ere 
the hufband can get polTcffion of his bride i the old matrons making it 
a rule to prevent him, as long as polTibte, and the bride hcrfelf hddtng 
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