Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-12-01
STRANGE ADORNMENTS.
The Women of fBurmah--How They Dress
Act, and Live Generally.

y
Act, and Live Generally.
The Burmese women before they
become mothers are noted for their
well-proportioned though small figures.
To one accustomed to seeing the regular
features so prevalent amongst the many
pretty Indian girls, the Mongol-like
features of their Burmese sisters look
ugly and repellant, but after while
this impression wears off; the women
of the country have many pretty little
ways and they are very cleanly. Their
hands and feet are small and well
shaped, arms symmetrical, the head
well put on to the neck; their carriage
is erect; they allow no hair to grow
anywhere except on their heads, where
it is most luxuriant, and is taken the
greatest care OF, tied up la chinoise,
with a wreath or garland of flowers en-
twined; they disfgure their ears which
are naturally small and pretty, by bor-
ing huge holes in the lobes, and wear
in them either gold or amber cylindrical
shaped earrings; they cover themselves
over with necklets, bracelets, rings, etc. +,
and the Burmese gold and silversmiths
Trichinopoly, or Delhi.
A Burmese girl who wishes to kiss
presses her nose up against Il face and
shifts She is born coquette, and will
spend hours in adorning her person.
Their dress consists of tight under
jacket to support the bust, and loose
and flowing Jacket over for show; u
gaudy scarf hangs down over the
shoulders; from the waist they wear
either many-colored silk thamne,
which exposes the inside of one leg
halfway up the thigh, or a "loongie," :"
which is more decent, being a sort of
petticoat fastened round the waist and
exposing no part of the person. All
the women smoke and chew betel-nut,
but have nice white, even teeth; they
can swim as rule, and delight in dab
bling in water, and invariably bathe
once, perhaps oftener, during the day.
The Burmese seldom have more than
one wife, and she reigns supreme in the
house, and conducts the purchase or
sale of all necessaries. A girls great
ambition is to keep Il stall in bazar
it is her introduction into society, and is
equivalent to our own girls being brought
out They are merry, pleasant race,
and many of the fourth Seikhs, when
they returned to the Punjab, took back
with them Burmese girls, preferring
them as wives to their own far comelier
women.
There is not prettier sight in the
world than crowd gathered round a
pagoda on gala day, with the men
resplendent in gorgeous apparel, the
women and children in their best,
pretty, plump, well-made figures, smil.
ing faces, banners streaming, flags fly
ing, backed by the beauty of the scenery
and the grand proportions of theii
numerous pagodas. On these occasions
the people are as merry as crickets, are
constantly on the move, and thoroughly
enjoy themselves. The women cannot,
as rule, either read or write, for their
priests are not allowed to teach them.
A few have been educated by we'll
meaning missionaries, but whether from
coming in contact with native children
or some other reason, these girls toe
often are not as well conducted as theiI
more ignorant sisters.
Every Burmese girl is born actress
and delights in taking part i'm poey
or national drama. There is no stigma
attached to women who take part in
these performances, as there is to dane
ing girls in India, and they are invariably
well-conducted, modest girls. Like the
men, the women are inveterate gamblers
at boat or pony race the men and
women bet together freely, and often q
girl, after losing all she possesses, will
stake herself against what she considers
her value, and if she lose she follows
the winner, and becomes his wife OF
concubine, for the two are nearly syn
onymous i'm Burmah. On the slightest
prOvocation woman will commit
suicide, generally by means OF opium
which, thanks to paternal Government
can be purchased without restriction in
every bazaar.