8a 



INDIA BEYOND THE GANGES. 



Natives. 



Black Teeth. 



only be of the moft defencelefs kind, for thefe pirates have no- 

 other veflels than the boats in \vhich they carry on the fifliing 

 bufincfs, and thofe unprovided with any fort of fire-arms. From 

 the extreme corruption of the government, there is no redrefs to 

 be obtained againft their excefles. An EngliJJj captain has been 

 fined for killing one of the crew of thefe petty thieves which had 

 fliewed a defign of attacking his veiTel. 



In one of the ifles the Tonquineje have a cuftom-houfe, 

 which is faid to bring in a million of rix-dollars. 



The kingdom is very populous, being thick fet with villages. 

 The natives generally are of a middle ftature, of the tawny 

 India color, but the faireft and cleareft of the kind ; a blufh or 

 change of tint may be feen in feme of them on any furprife of 

 paffion, imperceptible in any other Indians ; their faces are flat- 

 tifli and oval, their nofes and lips of due proportions, and alto- 

 gether agreeable ; their hair black, long, and lank, very thick, 

 and hanging down to their flioulders. 



Their teeth are (like thofe of the Siameje) as black as art 

 can make them ; the dying occupies three or four days, and is 

 done to both boys and girls when they are about twelve or four- 

 teen years old ; during the whole operation they never take any 

 nourifliment, except of the liquid kind, for fear of being poi- 

 foned by the pigment, if they fwallowed- what required maftica- 

 tion. Every perfon, high and low, rich and poor, is obliged to 

 undergo this fevere operation, alledging it would be a difgrace 

 to human nature to have teeth white as thofe of dogs or ele- 

 phants, to which they compare thofe who labor under that 

 misfortune. 



Pr/cr, 



