The production and prospecting of gold in Sumatra

By Bambang Budi Utomo

BANDAR LAMPUNG, Lampung (JP): The original name of Sumatra, as found in folk tales or history books, is "Gold Island". In ancient times the island of Sumatra was indeed famous for its gold mines. The term ameh (gold) is found in Kaba Cindua Mato (what's this?) from Minangkabau, West Sumatra. In Lampung folktales the name Tanah Emas (gold land) is mentioned. I Ching, a Buddhist priest from China, spoke of Chin Chou (gold country). The Arabs referred to it as Sarandib, a transliteration of the Sanskrit name Suwarnadwipa, meaning gold island. Another Sanskrit name for Suwarnadwipa is Suwarnabhumi (gold land). In various inscriptions Sumatra is known by the name of Suwarnadwipa or Suwarnabhumi.

One of the oldest narratives on Buddha, Jataka, relates the voyage of Indian sailors to Suwarnabhumi. In the Ramayana epic written by Walmiki in 150 B.C., we read about the search for Dewi Sinta, Rama's wife, abducted by Rahwana, to Suwarnadwipa. Periplous tes Erythras Thalasses, written in Greece in 70 A.D., mentioned Sumatra by the name of Chryse nesos (gold island).

Gold has always been an important commodity and has led people to search over great distances. In the Old Testament, mention is made of King Solomon who built many ships in Ezion-Jeber, near Elot on the shores of the Edom Sea. The king once sent an expedition to Ophir together with King Hiram's ship crew. The expedition returned with 420 talents of gold (1 talent = 26 pounds). The gold was handed to King Solomon. King Hiram also brought sandalwood and gems from Ophir. In 945 B.C. King Solomon sent ships again to Ophir to look for gold.

The exact location of Ophir is not known, but is thought to be in Africa or Asia. Ophir is known as a region rich in gold. This region is considered as an area of gold dominated by King Solomon. In West Sumatra there is a mountain called Ophir to the west of Lubuk Sikaping. Its summit, called Talakmau, (2,912 meters above sea level) emerges from the high plateau of Pasemah. Another mountain top of that plateau is named Nilam. To the east of Ophir there is another mountain called Gunung Amas (Gold Mountain) with an altitude of 2,271 meters.

Relations of the kingdoms of David and Solomon were not limited to Palestine, Syria and Egypt, but extended to Southeast Asia. Egyptian sailing vessels reached Sumatra, followed by Syrian ships. They came to look for gold, pearls and spices. They also went into gold mining in cooperation with local inhabitants. Mount Ophir or Ophaz was an area where King Solomon acquired gold to send to Palestine.

Remains of the mines can be found in many places in Sumatra, such as Logas in the province of Riau. In this region one finds the upper course of the Teso, Segati, Mamahan and Nilo rivers all of which empty into the Kampar river. The region still yields gold and is inhabited by Syrians originally from Logas.

According to Joao de Barros (1496-1570), Camoes in Luisaden used the name of Samatra for Sumatra island. People thought that Mount Ophir was on the island. King Solomon used the riches he got from the mountain to build a palace, places of worship and other buildings. De Barros also said that in 1520 and 1521 an expedition was sent to Sumatra to look for gold in Ophir which was also called King Solomon's gold region.

Gold was generally found in alluvial and river sediment containing the metal. Such gold is called placer and originates in rocks found in an elevated region such as a mountain. The rocks erode and the gold is carried by water to lower sites where it gathers on a plateau.

Manuel Godinho de Ereda, a Portuguese traveler who visited Sumatra in 1807, reported on gold panning activities. Every morning a group of inhabitants of the Kampar kingdom sifted sand from the Sunetrat river (Dareh River). They were able to get gold granules the size of seeds or small fish scales. Bigger pieces were obtained from the soil of wells dug on the river bank. When the soil dried the chunks of soil disintegrated and the gold was exposed.

Gold was also mined in ancient times, although the method was more difficult and complex. The usual method was by making a tunnel, a well, a ditch, and a number of dams. To pulverize and grind primary gold containing rocks, a jar made of andesite stone was used. The crusher was made of the same stone. To collect the gold, normal panning was applied.

William Marsden, an Englishman visiting Sumatra from 1771 to 1779, reported on gold mining activities in the Minangkabau region. Depending on its origin gold ore is categorized into two groups: supayang or primary gold and sungai abu or secondary gold. According to estimates by the inhabitants of Minangkabau, there were more than 1,200 gold mines in 1700. The tools used for mining were mainly crowbars, shovels, sledgehammers to crush rocks containing gold, and stone jars attached to a rope for pulling it out of the tunnel. Water was then used to separate the gold from the finely crushed quartz.

Before 1840 much gold was mined around the Abu and Talang rivers, a tributary of the Pantuan and Bergoyo rivers. The mining activities slowed in 1840. The gold was found in slate and was generally close to quartz excavations. To sift the excavated dirt, a complex watering system was made with many dams on mountain slopes. Soft slate found near the quartz excavations was collected and put into the water channel. The clinging clay that resulted was again mixed with the water. The mixture was then washed down stepped channels until the heavier gold granules separated from the lighter clay.

Soft slate and the attached clay is excavated from 75-meter- wide, 10-meter-long and 1 to 10-meter deep pit. The cross-section of the channel was in the form of a "U". The river wall is fortified by chunks of quartz and slate. Two walls parallel to the cavity in the middle were often filled with stones and later used as water channels. Water was supplied by a complex system of dams, aqueducts, drains and ditches.

Non-profitable

Locals have stopped mining because the gold reserves are depleted and the government has banned their activities. The government ban on gold mining is aimed at saving the environment which is devastated by mining activities. The miners do take heed of the danger of landslides either.

Open pit gold mining is not profitable. The yield is not worth the energy or the expense.

There are still many prospective gold producing regions in Sumatra at the exploration as well as exploitation stage. Inhabitants of South Tapanuli in North Sumatra spend their free time panning for gold in the Natal and Gadis rivers around Hutanopan and Muarasipongi. The rivers have been dammed and the gold panners remain in the water the whole day sifting for gold. They find gold granules the size of sand and sometimes pebbles. Panning earns them an average of Rp 250,000 a month.

People living near the Batanghari river in Jambi also have gold fever. But in Jambi they search the river when the water is low. They splash water on the dry river banks to wash away the dirt. If lucky they may discover gold ornaments, like those found in Koto Kandis, and melted gold.

Kings exploited Sumatra's gold for their needs in the past. Today, traditional gold panning still exists at some locations in the island's interior. An alluring offer to job seekers but damaging to the environment.