c hap. XIX. 
BEAUTY. 
345 
is exaggerated in their pictures for the purpose, as it 
“ it seems, of exhibiting its beauty, as contrasted with 
“the eye of the red-haired barbarians.” It is well 
hnown, as Hue repeatedly remarks, that the Chinese of 
tlie interior think Europeans hideous with their white 
skins and prominent noses. The nose is far from being 
too prominent, according to our ideas, in the natives of 
Ceylon ; yet “the Cliine.se in the seventh century, ac- 
“ customed to the flat features of the Mogul races, were 
“ surprised at the prominent noses of the Cingalese ; and 
“ Thsang described them as having ‘ the beak of a bird, 
“ with the body of a man/ ” 
Finlayson, after minutely describing the people of 
Cochin China, says that their rounded heads and faces 
ftre their chief characteristics ; and- he adds, “ the 
“ roundness of the whole countenance is more striking 
“ in the women, who are reckoned beautiful in propor- 
“ tion as they display this form of face.” The Siamese 
have small noses with divergent nostrils, a wide mouth, 
rather thick lips, a remarkably large face, with very 
high and broad cheek-bones. It. is, therefore, not won- 
derful that “ beauty, according to our notion is a stranger 
! ‘ to them. Yet they consider their own females to be 
“ much more beautiful than those of Europe.” 5a 
It is well known that with many Hottentot women 
Hie posterior part of the body projects in a wonderful 
fanner ; they are steatopygous ; and Sir Andrew Smith 
C certain that this peculiarity is greatly admired by the 
men . 63 He once saw a woman who was considered a 
32 Prichard, aa taken from Crawfurd and Finlayson, 1 Fhys. Hist, of 
Mankind,’ vol. iv. p. 534, 535. 
33 Idem illustrissimns viator dixit miiii prmcinctorium vel tabulam 
f'Snunje, quod nobis teterfimum est, quondam permagno sestimari ab 
“oininibus in hac gente. Nunc res mutata est, et censcnt talem con- 
formation em minima optandam esse. 
