a girdle of emeralds on the equatorMultatuli (1820-1887)

A metaphor may beguile, even as it misleads. Multatulis depiction of this archipelagoyet to be called Indonesiawas repeatedly quoted by various leaders of the nationalist movement early in the 20th century. But a figure of speech is a figure of speech; it is not a definition.

Emerald or smaragd (Multatulis phrase is de gordel van smaragd) originates from the Greek smaragdos: