MEMOIR OF LE VAILLANT. 29 



black is nothing but soot, or the charcoal of tender 

 wood. Some women are content with painting the 

 prominence of their cheeks, but in general they 

 daub over the whole body in compartments, varied 

 with some degree of symmetry; and this part of their 

 toilette requires no small length of time to complete. 

 These decorative materials are always perfumed with 

 the powder of the boughou, which is not very agree- 

 able to the smell of a European; but it has the 

 advantage over our rouge and pastes, of not being 

 pernicious to the skin or injuring the lungs; and 

 the female Hottentot, who is unacquainted with 

 amber, musk, or benzoin, never knows what it is 

 to be oppressed with vapours, spasms, or headache. 

 The men never paint their faces; but they use a 

 preparation made of both colours mixed, to paint 

 the upper lip as far as the nostrils. Young girls 

 sometimes favour their lovers so far as to apply this 

 paint for them under the nose : and on this point 

 they display a kind of coquetry which has a power- 

 ful influence over the heart of the enamoured 

 swain. 



Of the Cafirs M. Le Yaillant remarks, that they 

 are taller than the Hottentots of the colonies, or 

 even than the Gonaquas, although thev greatly 

 resemble the latter; but are more robust, and pos- 

 sess a greater degree of pride and courage. Their 

 faces are more agreeable, with sparkling and expres- 

 sive eyes. They are much tatooed, out do not 

 disfigure themselves by daubing tneir eyeorows ; so 

 that if we set aside our prejudice with regard t<f 



