The Placer herald., 1858-07-31
Female Beauty and Ornaments.

If there be truth in the old adage that
"variety is charming" we think our readers
will find in these gleanings OF the diversified
style in which beauties of different nations
adorn themselves, subject Of congratulation
that the faint ideas our females wear hang
ing off their heads resembling bonnets, and
the outer skeleton of encircling ribs with
which they are surrounded, are favorable
specimens compared to some of those we
are about describe
The ladies Of Japan guild their teeth, and
those of the Indies paint them red. The
pearl of teeth must be dyed black to be
beautiful in Guzurat in Greenland the wo-
men color their faces with blue and yellow.
However fresh the complexion of a Musco-
vite may be, she would think herself very
ugly if she was not plastered over with paint
The Chinese must have their feet as diminu
tive as those of the she goats and to render
them thus. their youth is passed in tortures.
In ancient Persia an aquiline nose was often
thought worthy Of The crown, and if there
was any selection between two princes, the
people generally went by this criterion Of
majesty. The modern Persians have strong
aversion to red hair; the Turks, on the con
trary, are warm admirers of it. The female
IIottentot receives from the hand Of her
lover not silk or wreath of flowers, but
warm entralls and reeling tripe, to dress
herself in enviable ornaments. In China.
small, round, red ewes are liked, and the
girls are continually pIuckng their eyebrows
that they may be thin and long. The Turk
ish women dip a gold brush in the tincture
OF a drug, which they pass over their eve
brows. 1t is too visible by day, ut looks
shiny by night. They tinge their nails with
a rose color. An African beauty must have
small eyes thick lips a large flat nose. and
skin beautifully black. The Emperor Of
Mononotapa would not change his aniable
negIess for the most brilliant European beau
iy. An ornament for the nose appears to
us perfectly unnecessary. The Peruyians,
however, think otherwise; and they hang on
ii a wei9hty ring, the thickness of which is
proportioned by the rank Of their husbands.
The custom of boring it, as our ladies do
their ears, (and everybody ese's,) is very
common in several nations. Through Il
perforaions are hung various materials. such
as green crystal, gold stones, a single, and
sometimes a great number of gold rings
In the South Sea islands polished fish bones
are the fashionable ne plus aifro This must
be rather troublesome to them in blow
ing their noses; and the fact is, some
have informed us, that the Indian and other
ladies so adorned never perform this very
useful operation.
The female head dress is carried some
countries to singular extravagnnce The
Chinese fair carries on her head the figure
of certain bird. The bird is composed of
,,ff limo Il, -
Of the person. The wings, spread out, fall
over the front of the head.dress, and conceal
the temples. The tail, long and open, forms
beautiful tuft of feathers. The bcak covers
the top Of the nose. The neck is fastened
to the body of the artificial animal by
spring that it may the more freely play, and
tremble at the slightest motion.
The extravaganza Of the Mvanses is far
more ridiculous than the above They ear
~ on their heads slight board, rat er ion
ger than a foot, and about six inches broad
with this they cover their hair, and seal it
with wax They cannot lie down nor lean
without keeping the neck straight; and the
country being woody, it is not uncommon to
find them with their head dress entangled in
the trees. Whenever they comb their hair
they pass an hour by the fire in melting the
wax but this combing is only performed
once or twice year.
The inhabitants Of Natal wear caps, OF
bonnets, from six to ten inches high. com
posed OF the fat of oxen. They then gra-
duaIly anoint the head with purer grease
which mixing with the hair, fasteus the bon
nets for their lives.
This last is rather an improvement on our
system. We go in to supersede the species
Of oystersh speciously called bonnet,
and the disposal of the hair az natural, like
the ladies of Natal. 1t might effect a rise
in the price OF tallow, but a corresponding
fall would counterbalance it, in the deprecia-
ton of velvet, satin, leghorn, and straw; and
even our slimmest ladies would come under
the category Of fair and fat.