The history of Sumatra : $b Containing an account of the government, laws, customs and manners of the native inhabitantsMarsden, William
History
The history of Sumatra : $b Containing an account of the government, laws, customs and manners of the native inhabitants
Marsden, William
Natural history -- Indonesia -- Sumatra; Sumatra (Indonesia)
From Europe silver, iron, steel, lead, cutlery, various sorts of
hardware, brass wire, and broadcloths, especially scarlet.
It is not within my plan to enlarge on this subject by entering into a
detail of the markets for, or prices of, the several articles, which are
extremely fluctuating, according to the more or less abundant or scanty
supply. Most of the kinds of goods above enumerated are incidentally
mentioned in other parts of the work, as they happen to be connected with
the account of the natives who purchase them.
CHAPTER 9.
ARTS AND MANUFACTURES.
ART OF MEDICINE.
SCIENCES.
ARITHMETIC.
GEOGRAPHY.
ASTRONOMY.
MUSIC, ETC.
ARTS AND MANUFACTURES.
I shall now take a view of those arts and manufactures which the
Sumatrans are skilled in, and which are not merely domestic but
contribute rather to the conveniences, and in some instances to the
luxuries, than to the necessaries of life. I must remind the reader that
my observations on this subject are mostly drawn from the Rejangs, or
those people of the island who are upon their level of improvement. We
meet with accounts in old writers of great foundries of cannon in the
dominion of Achin, and it is certain that firearms as well as krises are
at this day manufactured in the country of Menangkabau; but my present
description does not go to these superior exertions of art, which
certainly do not appear among those people of the island whose manners,
more immediately, I am attempting to delineate.
FILIGREE.
What follows, however, would seem an exception to this limitation; there
being no manufacture in that part of the world, and perhaps I might be
justified in saying, in any part of the world, that has been more admired
and celebrated than the fine gold and silver filigree of Sumatra. This
indeed is, strictly speaking, the work of the Malayan inhabitants; but as
it is in universal use and wear throughout the country, and as the
goldsmiths are settled everywhere along the coast, I cannot be guilty of
much irregularity in describing here the process of their art.
MODE OF WORKING IT.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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