818 
MISSION TO ASHANTEE. 
The men are very well made, but not so muscular as the Fantees; 
their countenances are frequently aquiline. The women also are 
generally handsomer than those of Fantee, but it is only amongst 
the higher orders that beauty is to be found, and amongst them, 
free from all labour or hardship, I have not only seen the finest 
figures, (which the ease of their costume and habits may account 
for,) but, in man}^ instances, regular Grecian features, with brilUant 
eyes set rather obliquely in the head. Beauty in a Negress must 
be genuine, since complexion prejudices instead of imposes, and 
the European adjudges it to the features only, which appeared in 
this class to be Indian rather than African ; nor is it surprising, 
when we recollect that they are selected from, or are the daughters 
of the handsomest slaves or captives ; or are expressly chosen by 
their interior neighbours, to compose part of their tribute to the 
King of Ashantee, who retains but a small proportion. 
Both men and women are particularly cleanly in their persons, 
the latter washing themselves, and the former being washed by 
them daily on rising, from head to foot, with warm water and 
Portuguese soap, using afterwards the vegetable grease or butter, 
which is a fine cosmetic. Their cloths, which are beetled, are 
always scrupulously clean. The lowest orders are generally dirty. 
Occasionally, small delicate patterns in green or white paint are 
traced on their cheeks and temples. The Moorish negresses darken 
the edges of their eye lids with lead reduced to a fine powder. 
The ore was brought from Mallowa and is very rich. The powder 
is moistened a little, and kept in small boxes, like bodkin cases 
with a bulb at the end, and prettily covered with cow's hair, within 
which is a metal stylus to apply the powder, as the women of India 
do antimony for this purpose. Top-cloths are generally worn, and 
not by the higher order only as in Fantee. They are commonly of 
a coarse silk bought at Dagwumba, They wear little or no antiffoo, 
i 
