Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-08-19

f1OW many SOOuiJ eicatui.e "S
How beauteous mankind is! y brave new
world,
That have such people int!
SHAKsPEAaE.
We should be greatly surprised to hear
that there was one Of our subscribers VINO
failed to receive with pleasure continual
lion of the accounts given of this extraor-
dinary people-those most amiable, and We
do believe, most happy Of the children Oh
Adam. The general concurrence IN the
testimony of the two gentlemen who have
published books on the subject, places the
veracity and accuracy ofthe picture oil the
character and manners Of the Loo-Chooans
beyond the reach OF controversy or suspi-
cion. After the ships were brought 10 an
anchor they came on board in great mum.
hers and their conduct soon Impressed
the Euplishmen with the following impress
sions respecting the department and APP
pearauce of the higher classes, which Is
copied from the account given by captain
Hall:
"Tbeir manners are remarkably gentle
and unassuming. They are observant, and
that without curiosity: but they require en-
co,Irapemept to induce them to come Tor
ward being restrained it would seem, by
penteel self.denial, from gratifying curlo-
s;iy. lest il might be thought obtruslve.-
Il M con-
sists of loose flowing robe, WITH very
wide sleeves, tied round the middle ny a
very loose belt or girdle made OF wrought
silk. yellow cylindrical cap, and a neat
straw sandal, over a short cotton boot OF
stocking. r wo of the chiefs wore light
yellow robes; the other dark blue, streak
ed with white. all of cotton. The cap IS
fat at top. They all carry fans, which
thew stick in their girdles when moi IN use
and each person has short tobacco pipe
in small bag, hanging along with The
pouch, at the girdle."
Lavater in one of his aphorisms says, that
a mans dress is his table of contents. The
gracefulness here described, the general
elegance of the costume, the selection oil
colors Cyellow and blue and Whitley, the
loose flow Of the robe, and on the whole
The taste displayed in the dress of those
people, besides its peculiar adoption to the
climate and to Asiatic habits, is strongly
analogous to the simple amenity and gen.
tleness of temper, and lovely moral cast
which characterize this people. And OF
their ingenuity il is difficult to withhold
very favorable opinion, after hearing what
captain Hall says of their appearance upon
a particular occasion, when the variety oil
color and pattern in their dresses was re-
markable. Many wore printed cottons-
others had cotton dresses with the patterns
drawn upon them by band, instead OF be-
ing stamped; but blue in all its shades was
the prevalent color-though there were
many dresses resembling in every respect
Highland tartans. The children in gene
raj wore more snowy dresses than he men
"a judicious Distinction but of the dress
of the women they could say nothing, as
none had then been seen. Every person
had one of the girdles already described,
which was always Of different color from
the dress, and was in general richly ornA-
mented with flowers in embossed silk, and
sometimes with gold and silver threads
This dress captain Hall declares to be ma
naturally so graceful that even the lowest
boatman had a picturesque appearance
Their hair which is Of glossy black, is
shaved off the crowns but the bare place
is concealed by their mode of dressing the
hair 10 close knot overi. Their boards
and niustachios are allowed to grow, and
are kept neat and smooth. They are said
to be rather low in stature-the average
height OF the men not exceeding five feet
! two inches-but though small, Mcleod
says they are sturdy, well built, and ath-
letic.-All the animal race too is small
bu, all very excellent in their kind; the
bullocks were plump and well conditioned,
but seldom exceed three hundred and fifty
pounds in weigbt--goats and hogs were in
the same proportion-the poultry forming
the only exception. Mr.. Mcleod says
that they are as fair as the southern Eu-
ropeans, and have no trace of either In
dian or Chinese ieaturss; while captain
II III states that tbeir colnr &c moi ooo1 some
being very dark, and others nearly white,
and that in most instances they are OF a
ieep copper" but, (says he) this is fully
compensated for by the sweetness and ia
lelligence OF their countenance. Their
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