142 
VOYAGE OF THE POTOMAC, 
[February; 
down the thigh, leaving no covering for the legs or feet. On their 
heads is fastened a coloured handkerchief, in a form somewhat 
resembling a turban ; the country people substitute a piece of 
white or blue muslin. This head-dress, on ordinary occasions, 
leaves the crown exposed ; but when they are proceeding on a 
journey they wear a toodong, or umbrella-shaped hat, of such 
dimensions as completely to protect them from the weather. 
The females, though not accustomed to waste much time in 
the arrangement of their toilet, dress, of course, more tastefully 
than the other sex. They also wear a short waistcoat, which 
conceals and defends the breast, and reaches to the hips ; all 
below which is enveloped with the cayen-sarong, which comes 
up as high as the arm-pits, where it is kept in its place simply by 
folding and tucking it over at the bosom. As an additional secu- 
rity, it is frequently confined about the waist by a girdle or zone, 
which is usually made of embroidered cloth, but is sometimes a 
hoop of gold or silver about two inches in breadth, fastening in 
front with a large clasp of filigree or chased work, in the centre 
of which is set som.e kind of precious stone, or, at least, an im- 
itation of one. Their badjoo, or upper gown, differs little from 
that of the men, buttoning in the same manner at the wrists. 
Around the neck is thrown a piece of fine blue cloth, of nearly 
two yards in length, neatly fringed at the ends, which hang down 
before ; this not only serves as a shawl, but also as a veil, for 
females of rank, when they make their appearance abroad. 
They permit their hair to grow luxuriantly long, both before 
and behind ; and the whole of it is carefully combed back 
together, ready for its final adjustment. This is performed in two 
ways ; one of which is, by winding the hair circularly, or, in nau- 
tical parlance, coiling it on the top of the head, where it is fastened 
by a silver bodkin or pin. This fashion is similar to that of the 
Chinese ladies, from whom it was probably borrowed. The 
other, and by far the most common mode of disposing the hair, 
after combing it back, is that of giving it a twist or two with the 
hands, and then doubling it, and passing the bight through a lock 
' or tuft raised from the mass for that purpose on the back of the 
head. As an additional security, tortoise-shell combs are used, 
sometimes highly ornamented with gold or silver. Among the 
poorer classes, the hair is always kept moist by a free use of the 
