112 NATURAL HISTORY. 



and round. Their eyes are small, their eye-brows are 

 large, their eye-lids are turned upwards, and their noses 

 are short and flat. Their beards are black, upon their 

 chins there is very little hair, and upon each lip there- 

 are not more than seven or eight prickles. Those who 

 inhabit the southern provinces of the empire, are more 

 brown and tawny than the others. In colour, they 

 resemble the natives of Mauritania, and the more swar- 

 thy Spaniards ; but those who inhabit the middle pro- 

 vinces are as fair as the Germans. 



Le Gentel assures us, that the Chinese women do 

 every thing in their power to make their eyes appear 

 little, and oblong. For this purpose, it is a constant 

 practice with the little girls, from the instruction of 

 the mother, forcibly to extend their eye-lids ; and with 

 the addition of a nese thoroughly compressed and 

 flattened, of ears long, large, open, and pendant, they 

 are accounted complete beauties. He adds, that their 

 complexion is delicate, there lips are of a fine vermi- 

 lion, their mouth is well-proportioned, their hair is 

 very black ; but that, by the use of paint, tliey so 

 greatly injure their skin, that, before the age of thirl v, 

 they have every appearance of old age. 



So strongly do the Japanese resemble the Chinese, 

 that we can hardly scruple to rank them in the same 

 class. As being inhabitants of a more southern cli- 

 mate, they only differ from them in being more yellow 

 or more brown. In general, their stature is small, 

 their face, as well as their nose, is broad and flat, their 

 hair is black, and their beard is little more than per- 

 ceptible. They are haughty, fond of war, full of dex- 

 terity and vigour, civil and obliging, smooth-tongued, 

 and courteous, but fickle and vain. With astonishing 

 patience, they sustain hunger, thirst, cold, heat, fa-- 



