this fancy is most founded in custom or in the nature of things, I fhall leave to others to determine.

"Befides the pleasure the Hottentots enjoy in befmearing their bodies from head to foot, they likewife perfume them with a powder of herbs, with which they powder both their heads and bodies, rubbing it in all over them when they befmear themselves. The odour of it is at the fame time rank and aromatic (narcotico feu papaverino fpirans) and feems to come nearest to that of the poppy mixed with fpices. The plants ufed for this purpose are various fpecies of the diofma, called by the Hottentots bucku, and confidered by them as poffeffing great virtues in curing diforders. Some of thefe fpecies are very common round about the Cape; but one particular fort, which I am told grows about Goud's-river, is faid to be fo valuable, that no more than a thimble full of it is given in exchange for a lamb.

"The Hottentots, with their fkins dreffed up with greafe and foot, and bucku-powder, are by this means in a great measure defended from the influence of the air, and may in a manner reckon themselves full dreffed. In other refpects, both men and women are wont to appear quite undreffed; indeed, I may fay, naked, except a triling covering, with which they always conceal certain parts of their bodies.

low

"With the men this covering confifts of a bag or flap made of kin, hanging quite open, the holpart of which feems defigned to receive that which with us modefty requires to be concealed; but as this piece of furniture is only faftened by a small part of its upper end to a narrow belt in other refpects hanging quite loofe, it is but a very imperfect concealment; and

when the wearer is walking or otherwife in motion, it is none at all. They call this purfe by the Dutch name of jackall, the name of an animal of the fox kind in that country, as it is almost always prepared of the fkin of this creature, with the hairy fide turned outwards.

"As another covering, which decency requires of the men, we ought perhaps to confider the two leather straps, which generally hang from the bottom of the chine of the back down upon the thighs; each of them being of the form of an ifofceles triangle, with their points or upper ends faftened on the belt just mentioned, and with their bafes, at fartheft three fingers broad,. hanging careleily down. Thefe ftraps have very little dreffing beftowed upon them, fo that they make fomewhat of a rattling as the Hottentot runs along; and probably by fanning him, ferve to produce an agreeable coolness. The only and real intention, however, of this part of their drefs, is faid to be to close a certain orifice when they fit down. They are at that time, in like manner, brought forwards, each on its particular fide, fo as to cover and close over the little flap above defcribed; for, faid they to me, thefe parts fhould by no means be uncovered when one fits, efpecially at meals. Neverthelefs, I obferved them fometimes neglect this decent cuftom.

"Among the Hottentots, as well as in all probability among the rest of mankind difperfed over the whole globe, we must acknowledge the fair fex to be the most modeft; for the females of this nation cover themfelves much more fcrupulously than the men. They feldom content themfelves with one covering, but almost always have two, and very often three. Thefe are made

of a prepared and well-greafed fkin, and are fattened about their bodies with a thong, almost like the aprons of our ladies. The outermoft is always the largest, measuring from about fix inches to a foot over. This is likewife generally the finest and moft fhowy, and frequently adorned with glafs beads ftrung in different figures, in a manner that 'fhows, even among the unpolifhed Hottentots, the fuperior talents and taste of the fair fex relative to drefs and ornament, as well as their powers of invention and difpofition to fet off their perfons to the best advantage.

"The outermoft apron, which is chiefly intended for fhow and parade, reaches about half way down the thighs. The middle one is about a third, or one half lefs, and is faid by them to be neceffary by way of referve, and as an additional entrenchment of modefty, when their gala-garment is laid afide. The third, or innermoft, which is fcarcely larger than one's hand, is faid to be useful at certain periods, which are much lefs troublefome to the fair fex here than in Europe. All these aprons, however, even to that which is decorated with beads, are not lefs befmeared and greafy than their bodies.

"So that it was probably fome of thefe aprons, particularly the innermoft, which mifled the reverend Jefuit Tackard, who, on his return to Europe, first propagated thofe ftories concerning the natural veils or excrefcences of the Hottentot ROmen. Thefe females, moreover, are careful, as a matter of decency, to pull their aprons tight about them, fo as to reach under their feat when they fit down.

"In other refpects, the garment worn by the Hottentots for cover

2

ing their bodies is a fheep-fkin, with the woolly fide turned inwards: this peliffe, or a cloak made of fome fmaller fur, is tied forwards over the breaft. When the weather is not cold, they let it hang loofe over their fhoulders in a careless manner, when it reaches down to the calves of the legs, leaving the lower part of the breaft, ftomach, and fore part of the legs and thighs bare; but in rainy and cold weather they wrap it round them; fo that the fore part of the body likewise, is in fome measure covered with it as far as below the knees.

"As one sheep-skin alone is not fufficient for this purpofe, there is a piece fewed on at the top on each fide, (or to fpeak more properly), faftened on with a thong, finew, or catgut. In warmer weather they wear this cloak fometimes with the hairy fide outwards, but in that cafe they oftener take it off entirely and carry it on their arms. In general, the Hottentots do not often burden themfelves with a great many changes of thefe cloaks or kroffes (as they call them in broken Dutch), but are content with one, which ferves them at the fame time for clothing and bedding; and in this they lie on the bare ground, drawing themselves up in a heap fo clofe, efpecially when the weather is cold, that this krofs (as they call it) or ka rofs, is quite fufficient to cover them.

The cloak, or karafs, which is ufed by the women for the fame purpofe, does not differ from those ufed by the men in any other refpect, than that the women have a long peak on their karoffes, which they turn up, forming with it a hood or little pouch, with the hairy fide inwards. In this they carry their little children, to which their mothers breafts are now and then

thrown

thrown over the fhoulders, a practice that likewife prevails with fome other nations.

"The men in general wear no peculiar covering on their heads. I fcarcely remember to have seen above two, that had a cap made of a greafed fkin, the fur of which had been taken off in the preparation. Thofe who live nearest to the coloniits, fancy the European hats, wearing them louched all round, or elfe with one fide turned up.

"The women in like manner frequently go bare-headed. When they cover their heads, it is with a cap in the form of a fhort truncated cone. It is made without any feam, of the fegment of fome animal's ftomach, and is as black as foot mixed up with fat can make it. Thefe are frequently fo prepared, as to look as if they were fhaggy, and others again like velvet, and upon the whole make a tolerably handfome appearance.

"Over this cap they fometimes wear another ornament, confifting of an oval wreath, or, if the reader pleafes, a crown made of a buffaloe's hide, with the brown hair outwards. This is about the breadth of four fingers in height, and furrounds the head fo as to go a little way down upon the forehead, and the fame depth into the neck behind, without covering the upper part of the cap above described. Both edges of this wreath, as well the lower one on which it refts, as the upper one, are always fmooth and even, and each of them fet with a row of fmall fhells, of the cyprea kind, to the number of more than thirty, in a manner, that being placed quite clofe to each other, their beautiful white enamel, toge ther with their mouths, is turned outwards. Between these two rows of fhells run one or two more in a

parallel line, or elfe are waved or indented in various taftes. It may eafily be imagined, what a pretty effect thefe fhells have, fticking out of the brown fur of the buffaloe's fkin, and at the fame time, with what additional charms a greafy Hottentot dame appears in a cap wreath to the full as greafy as herfelf.

"The ears of Hottentots are never adorned with any pendant or other ornament hanging from them, any more than the nofe, as they both are among other favages: this latter, however, is fometimes by way of greater ftate, marked with a black ftreak of foot, or, more rarely indeed, with a large fpot of redlead; of which latter, however, on high days and holidays, they likewife put a little on their cheeks.

"The necks of the men are bare, but thofe of the women are decorated with what is, in their opi nion, a great ornament. It confifts of a thong of undreffed leather, upon which are ftrung eight or ten fhells. Thefe, which are about the fize of beans, have a white ground, with large black spots of different fizes; but as they are always made ufe of in a burnished state, I cannot fay with any degree of certainty, whether they are of that fort which is received in the System of Nature under the denomination of nerita albicilla, or exuvia. Appearing collectively in the form of a necklace, they certainly adorn the greasy part they are hung upon, though perhaps not in proportion to the price at which they are obtained; for thefe fhells are commonly fold for not lefs than a fheep a-piece, as it is faid they are to be had no where elfe than on the most distant coaft of Caffria.

"The lower part of the body is the principal place on which both D 3

fexes,

fexes, by more fhowy ornaments, feemingly wish to fix each other's at tention. For though they very much fancy, and confequently purchafe the beads of Europe, efpecially the blue and white ones of the fize of a pea, yet the women rarely, and the men never, wear them a bout their neck; though both fexes tie one or more rows of thefe beads found their middle, next the girdle to which the coverings or aprons above mentioned are faftened.

"To conclude, another ornament in ufe with both fexes, is rings on their arms and legs. Moft of thefe rings are made of thick leather ftraps, generally cut in a circular fhape, which by being beat and held over the fire, are rendered tough enough to retain the curvature that is given them. It is thefe rings that have given rife to the almoft univerfally received notion, that the Hottentots wrap guts about their legs, in order to eat them oc cafionally. The men wear from one to five or fix of thefe rings on their arms, just above the writt, but feldom any on their legs. The ma trons of a higher rank frequently have a confiderable number of them both on their arms and legs, efpetially on the latter, fo that they are covered with them from the feet up to their knees. Thefe rings are of various thickneffes, viz. fometimes of that of a goofe-quill, and fome times two or three times that fize. Now and then they are made of pieces of leather, forming one entire ring, fo that the arms and feet must be put through them when the wearer wishes to put them on. Upon the legs they are ftrung on, fmall and great, one with another, without any peculiar nicety; and are fo much larger than the legs, as to thake off and get twisted, when

the wearer walks or is in motion.

"It may eafily be imagined, that thefe rings give the good Hottentot matrons a world of trouble, as well in the wear as in the preparation; and at the fame time are not a little clumfy and ponderous, not to men tion feveral other inconveniencies. But fuch is the peculiar turn of mankind, that from the Hottentot, as unconstrained as rude in his manñers, to thofe nations which carry the arts and feiences to the highest degree of perfection, they are uni verfally apt to fall into fuch modes of drefs, as are not only useless, but likewife in a great meafure im prifon their bodies and limbs.

"Rings of iron or copper, but efpecially of brafs, of the fize of a goofe-quill, are confidered as genteeler and more valuable than those made of leather. They are, however, fometimes worn along with these latter, to the number of fix or eight at a time, particularly on the arms. The girls are not allowed to ufe any rings, till they are marriageable. A traveller, that was parfing through the district of Zwelfendam, endeavoured to affail the chafity of a Hottentot girl, about fixteen or feventeen years of age, but in every other respect quite a woman: it is faid, however, that the refufed his prefents and offers, principally for this reafon, that the old people in her craal had not yet inverted her with the privilege of wearing rings. Whether this fame law prevails in every craal, I cannot pretend to fay; but it does not feem extremely probable to me, that the girls in every craal are fo obedient to the laws.

"The Hottentots feldom wear any fhoes. Thofe that are in ufe with the Hottentots hereabouts, as well as a great many more of their countrymen, are of the form we have before reprefented. The fame

are

of a certain degree of confequence in the empire. If then, experience has fhewn, in other parts of the world, that clans have always been obferved to commit the molt pernicious acts of depredation and hottility on each other, and that the paramount lord has feldom been able effectually to crufh fo general and fo complicated a fcene of mif chief, may we not reasonably venture to fuppofe, that the Hindoo legiflature paffed this ordinance for

the fuppreffion of fuch provincial warfare, and for the wholefome purpose of drawing the people, by unalarming degrees, more immedi ately under the controul of the one fovereign authority? The conclu fion, I own, appears to me fatis factory. Moreover, Polygars cant not but be of modern growth; for the law relative to thefts is antecedent to the mention of Polygars in history."

ASHMIRE is fituated at "the the extremity of Hindostan, northward of Lahore, and is bounded on the one fide by a ridge of the great Caucafus, and on the other by the little Tartarian Thibet and Moultân. The extent of it is not very confiderable; but be ing girt in by a zone of hills, and elevated very confiderably above an arid plain, which ftretches many miles around it, the fcenes which it exhibits are wild and picturefque. Rivers, hills, and vallies, charm ingly diverfify the landscape. Here a cafcade rushes from a foaming precipice; there a tranquil ftream glides placidly along; the tinkling rill, too, founds amidst the groves; and the feathered chorifters fing the fong of love, close sheltered in the glade.

"At what time Cafhmire came under the dominion of the Mogul government, and how long, and in what manner, it was independent, before it was annexed to the territories of the House of Timur, are points that are entirely unconnected with the nature of our enquiry.

We shall content ourselves, there fore, with remarking, that, though inconfiderable as to its revenues, it was uniformly held in the highest estimation by the emperors of Hindoftan. Thither they repaired, in the plenitude of their greatnefs, when the affairs of ftate would admit of their abfence; and there they divested themselves of form and all the oppreffive ceremony of state.

"The royal manner of travelling to Cafhmire was grand, though tedious and unwieldy, and fhewed, in an eminent degree, the fplendour and magnificence of an Eaffern potentate. Aurungzebe, we are told, feldom began his march to that country, for a march certainly it was to be called, without an efcort of eighty or a hundred thousand fighting men, befides the gentlemen of his household, the attendants of his feraglio; and moft of his officers of ftate. These all continued with him during the time he was on the road, which generally was a month: but no fooner was he arrived at the entrance of