43 LETTER X. 



the face broad and wrinkled, even in youth, the lower 

 part narrow, and inclining to a point at the chin. 

 Their noses are short and fiat, their cheek-bones high, 

 their teeth large, their eyebrows thickset, their hair 

 black, and their complexion olive. They are of a 

 middle stature, strong, robust, and healthy. Of all 

 the Tartar tribes the Calmucs are the most ugly, and 

 have the most savage and terrific aspect ; but neither 

 the features nor complexion of any of these nations 

 correspond with our ideas of beauty. 



The Tartars, although widely disseminated, all lead 

 , an erratic life. They build no towns, nor cultivate 

 any ground except for the production of a little mil- 

 let ; but live in tents, covered with skins. Their 

 food is horse or camel's flesh, which they often wit 

 raw, and their usual beverage is mare's milk, fer- 

 mented with ground millet. Their chief wealth con- 

 sists in their horses, in the management and care of 

 which a great part of their time is employed. They 

 practise robbery as a profession, and think it neither 

 dishonourable nor criminal, provided that it be exer- 

 cised on a different tribe. The men have very littlr 

 beard, and shave their heads, except one lock, which 

 they braid into tresses, so as to hang down on each 

 side of the face. Although the women can scarcely 

 boast of more beauty, than the men, they are stu- 

 dious to braid the hair, and decorate it with bits of 

 copper, and other ornaments of as little elegance. 

 >>ome of the Tartars are Mahometans, some profess 

 the religion of Thibet, and acknowledge the divinity 

 of the grand Lama ; and some of these wandering 

 tribes appear to have scarcely any religious ideas, ex- 

 cept that they acknowledge one Supreme and eternal 

 Being. 



In this class of men may be included the Chinese 

 and* the Japanese. The general contour of features, 

 and cast of countenance of these people, evidently 

 shew that they are of Tartar origin ; and the dissimi- 

 larity of manners, customs and habit of life, is un- 

 doubtedly the effect of civilization, and the moral in- 

 fluence of political institutions. Chardin, from his 



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