MEMOIR OF LE VAILLANT. 
29 
black is nothing but soot, or tbe charcoal of tender 
wood. Some women are content with painting the 
prominence of their cheeks, hut in general they 
daub over the whole body in compartments, varied 
with some degree of symmetry; and this part of their 
toilette requires no small length of time to complete. 
These decorative materials are always perfumed with 
the powder of the loughou, which is not very agree- 
able to the smell of a European; but it has the 
advantage over our rouge and pastes, of not being 
pernicious to the skin or injuring the lungs ; and 
the female Hottentot, who is unacquainted with 
amber, musk, or benzoin, never knows what it is 
to he oppressed with vapours, spasms, or headache. 
The men never paint their faces; but they use a 
preparation made of both colours mixed, to paint 
the upper lip as far as the nostrils. Young girls 
sometimes favour their lovers so far as to apply this 
paint for them under the nose : and on this point 
they display a kind of coquetry which has a power- 
ful influence over the heart of the enamoured 
swain. 
Of the Cafirs M. Le Vaillant remarks, that they 
are taller than the Hottentots of the colonies, or 
even than the Gonaquas, although they greatly 
resemble the latter ; hut are more robust, and pos- 
sess a greater degree of pride and courage. Their 
faces are more agreeable, with sparkling and expres- 
sive eyes. They are much tatooed, hut do not 
disfigure themselves by daubing their eyebrows ; so 
that if we set aside our prejudice with regard to 
