The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-11-15
SOME CURIOUS THINGS.
ODD AND BEAUTIFUL OBJECTS
FOUND IN THE FAR EAST.

r, ,,,r.s, .,velIer's Method OF Starting |
p,r..-cumbersome "Coins'' of tho Dyak !
reopIcs-Many md Interesting hin"s VI ,
Beads.
The forest dwelling peoples of the fur-
thor cast have an odd instrument LOT
making fire. Very seldom, sofar as we
do they employ tho lroverDiai
method Of rubbing" two sticks-which
is not rubbing ut all. Near tho coast
every man carries bit Of pitchcrein the
siri box or bamboo slung Mt his waist
chip of n plate, English or Dutch, ana
tindcr Snkas dry fungus. Holding TINS
mcnt of carthonware, he strikes ah5f 5ftie6a tSieav
of the siri box sharply, and it takes fire.
But this method can only be used by |
tribes which have such communication |
with the foreigner rs supplies them with
European goods. Tho inland peoples use !
moro singular process. They carry |
short cylinder Of lead, followed roughly |
to n cupliko form ut One end, which fits
a Joint of bamboo. Placing this cylinder |
in the palm Of the left hand, they fill the |
cup with tindcr, adjust the bamboo over
it, strike sharply, remove the covering rs
quickly, and the tinder is alight. Oh
scrvcrs who take q narrow view have de-
clarcd that tho earliest art practiced by
human beings after they escape from
mere barbarism is pottery. These races
have long passed that stage, but we do
not recall amy evidence that they use the
art. The fact is that, in countries which
produce the bamboo, earuIenwarc IL
| hardly needed except for luxury. They
| make charms aud fctichcs of dried clay.
MEASURING VALUES.
| But iii Bornco the Dyall peoples have
a class OF foreign carthcnwaro singu.
larlv interesting. AS Malays employ
brass guns for their currency, so the
Dyaks employ antique vases. In neither
instance do the actual coins pass from
hand to hand since by brass gun q
Malay signifies cannon, twenty feet
long, perhaps, and n Dyak signifies
vessel eighteen inches high or more.
| These things are measures OF value,
divided into imaginary fractions. There
are three varieties of this earthenwarc-
the gusi, which represents about $500
sterling, the naga and rusa, much less
valuable. The first is certainly Chinese,
and the last probably, but perhaps they
! never came from the continent. At some
date unknown tho north Of Bornco was
occupied by Chinese colony which
must have numbered millions. Thi:
great time, when third part of the isl
and was cultivated and dcnsely pcopled
may have been $50 years ago. But th'
first paragraph in the "Annals of Bruni
recognizes n powerful Chinese kingdom
of Batangan in the Fifteenth century
, we are not to digress into that fascinat
ing theme, however. Tho Celestial
| t,1 ,1, nnrD
!, tons ago; mn old friend Of ours, tn
y - - e'ill carried ten pig
IS again to counterfeit the old Jars, as ma;
n the Dutch. but they never succeeded
passing of their limitations. The Ma,
may he llindoo or Japanese, Of very +
moro antiquity; both peoples had gre:
:, settlements in tho island at ssnie tin
:, beyond human memory. They have lc
:, buddhist remains Of importance he,
Il and there.
we secured no samples Of these Cur
Gus things, for reasons that have bee
suggested. But the recollection calls
mind some extraordinary objects of IL
- same class, in sense, which are trea
v urcd on the other side Of the world.
- WONDERFUL READS.
The Aggry and the Popo beads. wbic
d serve for jewels in West Africa, are ola,
= = resembling carthcnwaro of unlSnow
manufacture, of immcmorial antiouit,
u and beyond modern skill to counterfei,
y Most European nations, probably, hav
tried their hand at initiating the Apor
u bead. The shrewdest chemists oni ~
cleVcrest artificcrs of Venice and Bi,
mingham have done their best; the DO,
, tcrs of England, France and Germon
| fnI fl,ni,
, , vain. 1t does not seem such a difficul
, enterprise, however. The beads are ir
regular IN shape and size; many hav,
been sawn IN two. They have an opaou,
ground-ochre yellow in the most yalu
able species-but so various that thi,
point gives no trouble. A rough orna
ment of circles in another hue run,
through tho material from side to side O,
emu 70 end. Here, again, imitation seems
easy, to the craftsmen of Venice In par.
tlcular; but appearances are deceptive.
evidently. Tho Popo bead, less valuable.
Dut valuable enough, Is blue glass, trans.
parent, but 80 manufactured that it show,
dull yellow against the light. These
things are oil found in tho earth; but, se
far as can be ascertaincd, they neyor
turn up in company with bones or othe,
signs of burial, which, to our mind, is the
most curious fact Of ALL That they are
ancient Egyptian is certainty.
Many hundreds, If not thousands, were
taken In the sack of the palace at Coo
massie, strung, in general, upon that
very pretty cord which wo mentioned,
m'eofalARGHT9Sftss T9Sfts ef5sa 81 eaI6rssSs sna s cubes
spelsed. Very handsome they Looked
no doubt upon tho smooth brow sIe;.
er ol lho royal danes. a pretty braceIn,
onl n;onn Coomassie is made Of trianonlar
pieces cut from the rib of n she'll snou,
,S' Mni'o' strung in groups alternately wit,,
crSll omese small fiattened nuggets. Rnt tLn
,ntans %aiosilies saved in that loot bear nn,,, e
nf nf'Seraolo s proportion to those which T,y ~
III bio Ias.o LS admired in tho palace and % tbs
20 HNusts on tho CabOCCers But ona a.SS