FEMALE COSTUMES. 311 
cure it, the young warrior is wont to wear a 
mantle and leggins of strouding. Both of 
these articles, according to the ‘latest fashions,’ 
should be one-half red, the other blue. The 
bi-colored mantle, as well as the blanket or 
buffalo rug, is carelessly thrown over the 
shoulders, and must be long enough to drag 
the ground; for they seem to have an instinct 
for the ‘regal grandeur of a sweeping gown.’ 
Though all the far-western Indians wear 
their hair long, the Comanche seems to take 
most pride in the voluminousness of his 
‘tresses,’ and the length of his gwewe, which is 
sometimes eked out with buffalo or other hair, 
till its tip reaches the ground, and is bedaubed 
with gum, grease and paint, and decorated 
with beads and other gewgaws, We are not 
to think that foppery and bry are gene- 
rated exclusively in civilized life. [am sure 
I never saw a vainer creature than a Coman- 
che brave in full costume, of dress, trinkets 
and paint. He steps as if he disdained the 
very ground upon which he walks. 
The dress of the Comanche squaw is usu- 
ally a kind of loose gown or tunic of leather, 
or cotton if it can be procured, which hangs 
from the shoulders and is bound around the 
waist with a girdle; thus presenting a resem- 
blance in its appearance to our ordinary fe- 
male costume. They wear moccasins, to 
which short leggins are attached, and which 
constitute a sort of leathern hose. They are 
not permitted to wear long hair: that ‘manly’ 
prerogative would be degraded by such an 
