CHAP. XXXII.] CULTirATISG A BEJRD. 



475 



the coml)atants. This man had succeeded, by assiduous 

 cultivation, in raising a pair of raouskiches winch were a 

 trinraph of art, for they each contained about a dozen 

 hairs more than tliree inches long, and which, being well 

 greased and twisted, were distinctly visible (when not too 

 Ear off) as a black thread hanging down on each side of 

 his mouth. But the beard to match was the difficulty, for 

 nature had cruelly refused to give him a rudiment of hair 

 on his cliiUf and the most talented p:ardener could not do 

 much if he had nothing to cultivate. But true genius 

 triumphs over ditlicuUies. Although there was no hair 

 proper on the chin, there happened to be, rather on one 

 fiide of it, a small mole or freckle which contained (as 

 such things frequently do) a few stray hairs. These had 

 been made the most of They had reached four or five 

 inches in length, and formed another black thread dangling 

 from the left angle of the chin. The owner carried this 

 as if it were something remarkable (as it certaiidy waa) ; 

 he often felt it affectionately, passed it between his fingers, 

 and was evidently extremely proud of his moustaches and 

 beard ! 



One of the most surprising things connected with Am 

 was the excessive cheapness of all articles of European or 

 native manufactiiie. We were here two thousand miles 

 beyond Singapore and Bata%'ia, which axe themselves 

 emporiums of the "far east," in a place un\isited by, 

 and almost unknown to, European traders ; everything 

 reached us through at least two or tliree hands, often 

 many more ; yet English cahcoes and American cotton 

 clothfi could be bought for 8*. the piece, muykct^ for 15s., 

 common scissors and German knives at three-halfpence 

 each, and other cutlery, cotton goods, and earthenware in 

 the same proportion. The natives of this out-of-the-way 

 couBtrj' can, in fact, buy all these thmgs at about the 

 same money price as our workmen at home, but in reality 

 very much cheaper, for the produce of a few hours' labour 

 enables the savage to purchase in abundance what are to 

 him luxuries, while to the European they are necessaries 

 of life. The barbarian is no happier and no better off for 

 this cheapness. On the contrniy, it has a most injurious 

 eflect on him. He wants the stimulus of necessity to 



