Hamilton’s account of the east indies. 507

hair in a becoming manner, and thofe who can afford pearl, have fome of them boredon one fide, and fet in their hair, and they have two or more gold bodkins which keepall the handfome fabric faff.

Their feet are bound up with rollers of cloth when they come to three years of age,and are always kept hard bound, fo that all the other parts of their body grow in theirnatural fhape and magnitude, but their feet, which, by reftraint, are always as finall asthey were when firft bound up. Their pretty little fhoe has a piece of wood placed inthe middle between the heel and the toe, that ferves both for heel and foie; whichmakes them rather trip along when they go, for their ambulation cannot be calledwalking.

Their forehead is large, pretty fmall eyebrows, well arched, their eyes black, butalmoft hid with the lids, their nofe finall and fiat at the eyes, their mouth little, andpretty plump lips of a deep Vermillion colour, their cheeks and chin in a good agree-able fymmetry, and their neck fmall, their arms long and flender, a fine little hand,and to grace the whole ftrudture of their perfons and ornaments, the nails of theirfingers are never pared, but are let grow to two or three inches in length, to fhew thatthey are not employed in fervile works.

And this fafhion of long nails is followed by the men of diftindfion, and are carefullykept clean, and formerly, before the Tartars were their lords, they wore their hair long,rolled up behind, (as our women in Britain formerly wore theirs,) and a net of hair orblack filk to cover their neat rolls and gold bodkins, with double or treble prongs ftuckin their hair, to keep it in order, but now they have only a lock at their crown, plattedand hanging down their back, and none are without that lock ; for if they have nothair enough growing naturally on their heads, they take finall locks of borrowed hair,and twift it with their own to be in the fafhion.

The men of figure have a coat of filk that comes down to their knees, and a fhortdoublet over that, that reaches no farther than their loins. Their breeches are largeand full, which come under the tops of their filk boots, neatly made and quilted, forgreat men wear no fhoes. They generally wear on their right thumb a thick ivory oragate ring, very convenient for drawing their long-bows made of buffalo’s horn, theybeing all bred to archery, and exercife themfelves much in (hooting at a mark. Theywear their fwords on the left fide, with the point forward ; and when they draw them,they lift up their lacquered fcabbard, that the handle may reach above their (houlderbehind, fo that at the drawing of them with their right hand, they can make a goodand nimble ftroke on whatfoever they attack.

And to drefs our China or Tartar gentleman completely, he wears a cap made offine mat for that purpofe, in the form of a blunt pyramid, with a taffel of horfe-hairdyed red, that reaches from the crown almoft to the bottom, and often an amber orcoral button fattened to the crown of the cap, and they ufe a piece of hair-tape tocome under the chin, to keep it from blowing off by the wind; and to their girdlethey have a purfe for their little tobacco-pipe, which is made of fome metal, and twoother purfes, one finall for their tobacco, and the other pretty large, with feveraldivifions in it for their money and papers, all drawn clofe by filken ftrings ; and theirhandkerchief is a piece of coarfe cotton rag ftuck between their girdle and fide, oneend hanging to the knee, and that ferves for a towel and a napkin alfo ; and fo 1 haveequipped him either as a. courtier or cavalier.

But the mandereens of the pen have a long gown to their heels, with badges orblazons on their backs and breads, to dfftinguifh their degree or dignity ; and beforethey are admitted to the degree of doftor, they muft pafs through feveral trials and

2 t 2 examinations.