steampunk_nusantara | For Translation & Scanning Queue: Abstract of Item: Booklet

Item is a little booklet. Cover is made from brown leather (and smells like cow); pages are so well-preserved, technicians and myself are tempted to believe it was printed only ~50 years ago, but print date (1793) says otherwise. Embossed and filled with black ink on the cover is the title. The pages are yellow, but still quite sturdy.

There is no credited authour. Full title is "Jahanam Francis Light: Riwayat Peristiwa Akibat Pertempuran Antara Negara Kedah & Briton Curang Pada Tahun 1780". The book is 10cm x 13cm, and weighs no more than 10 grams.

The booklet is a 10-page sajak (poem), written in Jawi and printed in a large font. Inside the cover, the name "Yusuf Jaksin" is scrawled in what appears to be a child's handwriting. The pages alternate from writing and illustrations of the scene being described. From these we infer that it was used as educational / propaganda material.

Possible origins are Kedah or Penang, although the printing and writing style point to a writer of Kelantanese descent, perhaps even Pattani, but I work with rudimentary knowledge.

Further actions taken: Sent to transcription department, and from there will be forwarded to the linguistics department for further analysis.