390 A visit te Xiengmar. [No. 4, 
With the exception of the Sala and the look-out, the other structures 
had been all expressly prepared for us—moreover sheds had been built 
outside the fence for our escort. 
We found a large number of people assembled between the bridge 
and the city gate to witness our arrival ; some were standing ; others, 
sitting in groups or pressing near us. They were a medley crowd. 
The true Lao in turbaned kerchief, with his tartan-like Khatung, 
worn as the Scotch wear their plaid; the Thai or Siamese merely 
girdled round the loins ; the fat smiling Chinese in his blue vestments ; 
and to make the medley still more conspicuous, there were likewise 
inhabitants from Muang Teh in the Chinese Province of Yunnan, a 
caravan of which had arrived a day or two previous: all these people 
added to the peculiarity of the scene before us. Fatigued, I slept 
soundly, but what a stir there was on awakening, from the early morn- 
ing hours, in front of our residence. The bridge is the great pub- 
lic thorough-fare fos the population residing on the left bank of the 
Méping, not only in the suburb, but likewise for those in the adjacent 
country. A number of these persons come daily to town, to sell or 
purchase: the women entered in parties, consisting of twenty or 
thirty ; seldom accompanied by men, passing in single file towards 
the city gate. The Lao females, have long glossy hair of an mtense 
black, which, with tidy persons, is neatly plaited and gathered in a 
knot behix.d, the hair of the forehead bemg drawn up backwards in 
the manner of the Chinese women. They wear the Lao petticoat, 
more or less ornamented with gold thread, and embroidered with silk 
of bright colours. The married womer are moreover dressed in a 
jacket or spenser, closely fitting as far as the waist, and from thence 
expanding more amply until it reaches nearly to the knee. This vest- , 
ment resembles the polka spenser formerly so fashionable in England 
and on the Continent. Those who can atiord it, have rich necklaces, 
and rings in their ears and on their fingers ; their arms and ankles sur- 
rounded by circlets of gold or silver ; a silk shawl or scarf of red or rose 
colour is thrown loosely over their shoulders. The latter refers to the 
married women—young ladies, unmarried, do not dress above their 
waist. 
Black and shining as their hair is, the racemes of the white flowered 
Moringa or the fragrant Vateria, or if such be not in blossom, those 
of any other tree or plant similar in coiour, set it off much more by 
