ANIMALS. 425 



rally growing on that part; and even Linnaeus 

 has fallen into that mistake. Their hair is also 

 cut into bands ; and no small care employed in 

 adjusting the whisker. In fact, we have a very 

 wrong idea of savage finery, and are apt to sup- 

 pose that, like the beasts of the forest, they rise, 

 and are dressed with a shake : but the reverse is 

 true ; for no birth-night beauty takes more time 

 or pains in the adorning her person, than they. 

 I remember, when the Cherokee kings were over 

 here, that I have waited for three hours during 

 the time they were dressing. They never would 

 venture to make their appearance till they had 

 gone through the tedious ceremonies of the toilet ; 

 they had their boxes of oil and ochre, their fat, 

 and their perfumes, like the most effeminate 

 beau, and generally took up four hours in dress- 

 ing, before they considered themselves as fit to 

 be seen. We must not, therefore, consider a de- 

 licacy in point of dress as a mark of refinement, 

 since savages are much more difficult in this par- 

 ticular than the most fashionable or tawdry Eu- 

 ropean. The more barbarous the people, the 

 fonder of finery. In Europe, the lustre of jewels, 

 and the splendour of the most brilliant colours, 

 are generally given up to women, or to the weak- 

 est part of the other sex, who are willing to be 

 contemptibly fine ; but in Asia, these trifling 

 fineries are eagerly sought after by every con- 

 dition of men, and, as the proverb has it, we 

 find the richest jewels in an JEthiop's ear. The 

 passion for glittering ornaments is still stronger 

 among the absolute barbarians, who often ex- 



