The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-06-24
Tattooing.

We saw at ex-mayor Barnum's resi-.
dence this morning wonder Of tatooinp
on the person of Capt. George Costente.
nus, descendant of a noble Greek fam.
ily from the province of Albania. Ills
statement is, that while he, together with
an American and Spaniard, were min
ing in Chinese Tartary in 1867, q re,
belliou arose and the three Joined The
insurgents. Ill luck coming to their
cause. they were taken prisoners and
subjected to tho tatooiDg process for
three months in lieu Of having their heads
cut off He says that the process caus
such terrible pain that it required six
men to hold him while one man perTol m.
ed the operation After il was com
pleted, all three escaped from the prison,
but the American survived only FIVE or
six months. The Spaniard lost his eve.
sight and died in Manila, but Captain
Costentenus survives and is in good health.
The tattooing was done with indigo and
cinnabar, producing blue and red colors.
and there is not 4 single point on his
body which is not covered with these
colors, so that it is impossible to dis.
cover what was the natural color of
the skin, except by his ears and the soles
OF his feet, which are the only parts they
did not cover with tattoo. He apneared
at first sight as though he was clothed
with very close.fitting tights made Of a
shaw OF of very fine, soft drugeott.
Upon close inspection, however, It is
seen that he is entirely naked. and that
the apparent tights are an illusion More.
over, his whole person is found to be
covered with a great variety ol animal
figures with their names most inreniously
and sklllfuly printed into the cut;clc.
On the forehead are animals and nscrin.
tions, and on the face star.likc 6eurcs.
On the hands are numerous red points
and figures resembling sculptures, as
well as long.tailed, panther.like shopes.
On the neck, chest, abdomen, back and
extremities, the skin is mass of SYN.
metrically arranged and admirably exc.
cuted figures Of monkrys, tigers, lions,
elephants, peacocks, storks, swans, sna kea
crocodiles, lizards, mingled with bows,
arrows, leaves, flowers and fruits on the
palms of the hands are indescribable
figures and little figures are on the in.
side Of the fingers. On the back sides Of
both feet to the toes are blue points, and
from the toes to the nails are red lines.
Altogether there are 3SS taltooed rict.
ures on the entire body-on the forehead
2; neck, 81 chest so back, 81 aldo.
men, 52 ; upper ex.remities, 101 ; lower
extremities, 1877. He is certainly one
Of the greatest human curiosities ever
seen, He has Travelled in all counties
except America, and is attracted here by
the Centennial exhibition. He :, ako
English French, Spanish and lta ian
this morning, and he understands he
Arabic, the Persian, and several oher
languages. He is about five feet and zen
inches high, has superb physique his
hair is straight, jet black and glossy. To
the touch his skin has very foft el.
vety feeling, and it has so much the p.
pearance o! being clothed hat be IN ,ht
walk through the public streets Wit iut
anyone susrecing thai lac was not i SIS.
ed in tights. We understand that lr.
Barnum has engaged him to travel hh
his great show at a salary Of $lOu q
day, and that he will mske bis first ~.
poarance in Providence pext AIonda, -
Bridgpou Standard.