SUMATRA. 
277 
fabricators of the gold and filvcr fiUagree, which has been particularly Fillagrw, 
defcribedi MenamcahQW has alfo been celebrated for its confiderable 
trafHck in gold, lying in the midil of the mines where \t is chiefly pro- Gold, 
duced. Much cloth is wrought in, and exported from it* In this conn- Cloth* 
try they have, from the earlieft times, manufadtured arms for their own Fkeanns. 
ufe, and to fupply the northern inhabitants of the ifland, who are 
the moil warlike ; and which trade they continue to this day ; fmelting, 
forging, and preparing the iron and ileel for thii purpofe. How cariy 
they began to caft cannon, and make fire arms, I cannot take upon m^ 
to fay, but if they learned thi^ art of the Europeans, which there is 
reafon to doubt, they muft have acquired it very fuddenly, as clie firft. 
Portuguefc hiftories mention their ufing them* Their guns are tljofe 
pieces called matchlocks, (fiitnga); the improvement of fprings and 
fiints not being yet adopted by them * ; the barrels are well tempered,, 
and of the jufteft bore, as is evident from the excellence of the aim they 
take with them. From the great di£Bcuky attending the procefs of pre- 
paring the metal, from iron ore, I would have been inclined to think it 
more probable, notwithflanding the affurances I have received to the con- 
trary, that they procured their €te.e\ fmm the weftem nations : but befides. 
that I know the fmalJ importation of that commodity from Europe alJ 
prefent, can by no means be adequate to their coufumpdon j it is evi* 
dent that their creefcs and other weapons of the fword kind, are made 
of a fpecies of that metal, entirely different from ours; and there can- 
not remain a doubt of its being their own manufadlure. Powder they Gunfowdcr, 
make in great quantity, but either from the injudicious proportion of 
the ingredients in the compofitlon, or the imperfect granulation, it is 
very defective in flrength. Their arms, befide guns, are the co^joor. or 
o ^ Side arms, 
lance, re^d&jj^ ca/ewang^ buddiiy pamandah^ Jewar and crfsfe^ Thefe are, 
for the moil part, weapons of a make between that of a fcimitar, and a 
knife i fome ; as tlie mdcos,. which is a kind of ihort, broad fword, and the 
ialiwang ; being flung at the fide, and others fluck in front through a 
belt that folds feveral times round the body* The y^sy^Jrisafmallinftrument 
* Firelockt diey call ftutp/mtf Jrom the Dutchj who p«haps *,vere the lull wta ufed them ia» 
of 
f 
