The Red Cloud chief., 1913-01-09

even though the costume might leave one in
doubt; for in Burma. Siam and Java the men and
women dress much alike that practically the
only distinguishing feature Is the turban usually
worn by the men. When 1t comes to burden
bearing. however, there can never be any doubt
as to sex, regardless Of costume. for the oriental
woman almost invariably carries everything upon
her head. while the man, just as invariably. bears
every kind Of burden swung across his shoui-
ders from the ends OF a bamboo pole.
So much has this become second nature to
them that A have seen Burmans and Javanese
tie a stone other useless weight to one end OF
their shoulder pole In order to balance some
indvisible load at the other end thus doubling
the weight OF their load In order to carry 1t In
the customary manner And the oriental woman
exhibits the same reluctance with reference to
carrying any kind OF a burden whether large or
small in any manner except upon her head the
sole and solitary exception being her baby. which
is usually tied upon her back We are sometimes
amazed by the size and weight Of the loads borne
upon the heads Of these women OF the east, but
at the same time 1t Is not at all unusual to see
these same women carrying upon their heads
empty Dishes fragile glassware, things easily
broken and OF practically no weight: but habit
is so strong with them that every object. no mat
ter what its character. must be borne upon the
head
1t is this habit Of carrying heavy loads upon
their heads that gives such superby erect and
queenly carriage to practically all the women OF
the far east. The drawing OF water seems to be
their peculiar task, and Palestine is not alone
with her Rebeccas at the we'll. While the yelled
women OF Egypt and Syria fill their great kullehs
OF Nile clay and the little brown girl wives OF
India dip their shining brass water pots in the
temple tanks or in the sacred Ganges; the merry.
graceful little girls and women Of happy Burma.
favored above all the women OF the east gather
In social sort OF a way at the village fountains
and spend long hours in the gossip so dear to
feminine hearts before they f1ll their fat brown
"chatties' with the water for their household
needs And there Ia here suggestion OF do
mestic slavery unhappy household bondage.
as these slender. brightly clad little daughters
of Burma balance the dripping chatties upon
their great coils OF beautiful hair and bear them
happily back to the little basket homes under the
shadowy groves of plantains and areca palms,
which are so generally the abode of sweet con-
tent.
When an oriental man bears water It is usually
in a black slimy grewsome-looking pigskin or
goatskin, slung across his shoulders and looking
for all the world like the corpse OF some drowned
thing These are the "sakkas' or water men OF
Egypt and Turkey. who carry water for sprin-
king the roads to lay the dust in the vicinity OF
the bazars and to supply also the ordinary wants
of the oriental household. To the same class
belong the "bhistis" OF India. who form sepa.
rate religious caste by themselves and who carry
the water In their Shiny goatskins every morn
ing to fill the huge tin dshpan. which In India
serves you as bathtub.
There are also other water bearers among the
men of the orient but these have nothing to do