[ CHUAN MIAO SONGS AND STORIES — GRAHAM 3 



ds, and chairs. The stoves are generally, like those of the Chinese, of clay and 

 »nes or bricks, but sometimes one is seen that is merely a square hole in the 

 ound, a continuation of a very ancient custom. 



The principal tools and utensils, which are like those of the Chinese, are the 

 ow, the curved sickle for cutting grass and wood, the hoe or pick, the ax or 

 tchet, the hammer, saw, knife, spoon, ladle, rice-steamer, loom, and the iron ^o 

 ^ cooking vessel. 

 The domestic animals are the horse, mule, donkey, water buffalo, cow, pig, dog, 

 t, sheep, goat, chicken, duck, and goose. 



The principal food is corn meal cooked like porridge, but those who are able 

 get it eat rice. This diet is supplemented by vegetables, meat, and wild fruit 

 d berries found in the woods. The investigations by Dr. Gordon Agnew showed 

 at many Ch'uan Miao suffer from malnutrition. 



Women weave cloth on home-made wooden looms, and they generally do 

 cooking. Both men and women work in the fields, but only men do the 

 owing. Sewing and embroidery work are done by women and girls. Hunting 

 a popular pastime of men and boys, especially during the winter months when 

 ere is Httle farm work to do. 



Formerly most of their clothing was made of hemp cloth, which was undyed 



id therefore white, woven on their looms by the women. This evidently 



plains why they were called "White Miao." Whether the Ch'uan Miao belong 



have belonged to the White Miao group of southern Kweichow is a problem 



; to be solved. Today much of their clothing is made of blue cotton cloth 



l)ught from the Chinese. 



In former years the clothing of the Ch'uan Miao, both men and women, that 

 as worn on festive occasions and often to markets was beautifully embroidered 

 :id colored. Some of the embroidery, such as that of the handkerchiefs, is like 

 lat of the Chinese peasant's cross-stitch embroidery, but most of it, and that which 

 i finest and best, includes beautiful designs found widely among non-Chinese 

 ;ople in southern and central Asia, extending even into central Europe. The 

 :st skirts of the women are pleated and dyed in a manner resembling somewhat 

 le batiks of Java. The Ch'uan Miao men no longer wear embroidered garments, 

 id the women are imitating, to save time, the coarser of the Chinese embroideries, 

 "his is bringing about the loss of a fine and beautiful art. 



I 



SOCIAL ORGANIZATION 



The family is the social unit, and the Ch'uan Miao family closely resembles 

 "lat of the Chinese. The oldest male is the head of the family, and all his descend- 

 nts, except married daughters, and including wives of sons and grandsons, gen- 

 rally live together in the same house. After marriage the woman belongs to the 

 imily of her husband. All having the same name are regarded as belonging to 

 le same larger family and are not allowed to intermarry. Filial piety is the 

 ardinal virtue and is expressed in elaborate funeral and other ceremonies. 



While the couvade is found among the Hua Miao neighbors to the south, no 



