THE INDIAN’S TOILET. 291 
to the Pacific. Figures are pierced in the 
skin with any sharp pointed instrument— 
ofien the keen prickles of the cactus—and 
pulverized charcoal or gunpowder, or some- . 
times the coloring juice of a plant, is rubbed 
into the fresh punctures, which leaves a last- 
ing stain. 
The most usual female dress is of the style 
worn by the Comanche squaws, which is de- 
scribed in speaking of that nation. With re- 
spect to dress and other ornaments, however, 
the order of the civilized world is reversed 
among the Indians. The ‘fair sex’ paint less 
than the men—use fewer ornaments generally, 
and particularly, wear no pendants in the 
ears. While a savage beauty pays but lit- 
tle attention to her person, a ‘brave’ will 
spend as much time at his toilet as a French 
belle, in the adjustment of his ornaments— 
his paint, trinkets, beads and other gewgaws. 
A mirror is his idol: no warrior is equipped 
without this indispensable toilet companion, 
which he very frequently consults. He usu- 
ally takes it from its original case, and sets it 
in a large fancifully carved frame of wood, 
which is always carried about him. He is 
also rarely without his tweezers, whether of a 
fold of tin, of hardened wood, or of spirally 
twisted wire, with which he carefully eradi- 
cates, not only his beard, eye-lashes and brows, 
but every villous particle from his body, as 
fast as it appears; for they consider every- 
_ thing of the kind as extremely unbecoming 
a warrior. "hh is on this account that Indians 
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