1863. ] A visit to Xiengmat. 391 
the great contrast, when these flowers are placed in their raven tresses. 
The mouth of the young girls is formed exquisitely. But few of the 
Lao women indulge in betel chewing, hence they do not render that 
organ, so fairly formed by nature, hideous by the prevailing custom of 
the Thai; and their teeth remain white as nature made them. 
Though much fairer in colour, in stature they, like the Indians of 
Guiana, very seldom veach a height above 4 feet 10 inches. 
The men wear generally the Khatung or Lao plaid, but a number 
are dressed in blue or white tunics, fitting closely and reaching like 
the spenser of the women to the knee. ‘The hair of the head is allow- 
ed to grow; only when it becomes too long, it is cut; some have 
whiskers, a custom not adopted by the Thai, where nature has yielded 
him hairs on his cheeks. I observed but few instances of the tuft of 
hair on the crown, as worn by the Siamese proper. 
They dress their children very neatly ; on the head, they place a 
cap consisting of seven pieces, in the shape of a cardinal’s cap, made 
of scarlet cloth with a band of black velvet below, embroidered with 
gold thread. Boys of six years and upwards, are dressed in the close 
fitting tunic, and, acvording to the wealth and standing of the parents 
they are made of velvet, or white cotton cloth. 
The Laos consist, it may be said, of two clans, namely such as who, 
if men, paint their bodies from the waist to the knee, and designate 
themselves as the Thong dam or “ black bellies,’ and the others who 
do not paiut, as Thong Khao or “ white bellies.” I saw more of the 
former than of the latter in and about Xiengmai. The tattooing 
represents figures of dragons, tigers, labyrinths, &e. The operation 
of producing these figures is upon the same principle as our sailors 
employ, to have anchors, crosses and other figures printed upon their 
arms. Several of our own men had the operation performed, without 
exhibiting their suffering great pain under the operation. 
There is little design in the tattooing ; sometimes patches of colour 
produced by Indigo, exhibit no figure whatever. 
The Guiana Indians show much more design in painting their 
bodies, and a belle of the Carib or Macusi tribe, will not consider it too 
tedious, when preparing for attendance at some great display, to sub- 
mit to the painter’s brush for 8 or 10 hours at a sitting. 
The generality of the men and women among the Lao, walk like the 
Indians of Guiana, one foot set before the other, without turning the 
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