DISTENDmG THE LOBE OF THE EAR. 395 



of the women is remarkable. On the head is worn a 

 long scarf^ wonnd round like a tni'ban^ one end being 

 allowed to hang down, sometimes over the forehead, 

 and sometimes on one side, or on the back of the 

 head. The upper part of the body is clothed in a 

 baju of the common pattern, and passing over one 

 shoulder, across the breast, and under the opposite 

 arm is a long, bright-colored scarf. The ends of this, 

 as well as that worn on the head, are ornamented 

 with imitations of leaves and fniit, very taatefullj 

 wrought with gold thread. At the waist is fastened 

 the sarong, which is not se^vn up at the ends as 

 in other parts of the archipelago. It is therefore 

 nothing but a piece of calico, about a yard long, 

 wound round the body, and the two ends gathered 

 on the right hip, where they are twisted together, 

 and tucked under, so as to form a mde knot. As 

 the sarong is thus open on the right side, it is 

 thrown apart higher than the knee at every step, 

 like the statues representing the goddess Diana in 

 hunting-costume. Their most remarkable custom, 

 however, is distending the lobe of the ear, as seen ixi 

 the accompanying cut from a photogi'aph of one of the 

 women at the kampong here at Fort de Kock. When 

 young, an incision is made in the lobe, and a stiff leaf 

 is rolled up, and thrust into it, in such a way that 

 the tendency of the leaf to um^oll will stretch the in- 

 cision. When one leaf has lost its elasticity it is 

 exchanged for another, and, in this way, the opening 

 increases until it is an inch in diameter. This must 

 be a very painful process, judging from tlie degree to 

 which the eai's of the young girls ai'e inflamed and 



