H 



U M 



A 



N 



S 



P 



E 



y 



I E 



S 



593 



The nails of the people of quality at Taheitee, and the neigh- 



r 



J 



^ourhood, are of a great length, fo that fometimes the part iland- 

 ing l)eyond the fiager, is equal to one of the joittts : the dancing 

 girls, (who are always perfons of quality) have alfo very long 

 nails : and this cuilom Is likewife common among the women of 

 the Gold-coafl in Africa * : the Mandarines in China, carefully 

 preferve their long nails as a proof or mark of their nobility and 



rank 3 and keep on purpofe fmall cafes of baml)oo over them during 

 the night, to prevent accidents -f- : in Siam, the dancing girls make 



MANNERS 

 COMPARED 



ufe of falfe long nails, made of brafs 



order to come up 



this 



fafhion J ; at Maghindanao, (commonly called Mindanao) the 

 nails of the thumb on their ' left hand are never cut ; and the 

 people in Java are faid to wear long hair and long nails. 



The figure of the nofe feems to have iDcen an objed worthy the 

 attention of the midwives at Taheitee ; and lince, they are of opi- 



F 



nion that a broad, fomewhat flat nofe, is ornamental, they deprefs 



: ' ' ' ' 



the nofe immediately after the birth of the child, and repeat this 



^ 



■-■. 



lii^ion upon the child, whilfl it is ftill tender, which we have al- 



'\ 



4 G 



ready 



* Prevot Hift. des Voyages, torn, xn . 



r 



f Ofbeck'i Voyage to China, vol. i. p, j?7«k 

 % De la Loubere Voyage. 



-§ Voyages faits pour rEtabliffement do la Compagnle dcs Indci Oricntalcs ( Amfcrdam 

 T^oZx) roL i. p. 392. 



X 



