30 
MEMOIR OF LE VAILLANT. 
colour, there are many women among them who 
might be thought handsome by the side of a Euro- 
pean lady. They wear cloaks or krosses made of 
the skins of calves or oxen, which reach to the 
feet. For ornaments and finery they care very 
little, not even wearing copper bracelets; their 
aprons, like those of the Gonaquas, are bordered 
with small rows of beads — the only vanity which 
they exhibit Wives, instead of bringing dowries 
to their husbands, axe usually purchased with cattle. 
When the bargain is adjusted, the chief of the tribe 
publicly gives the nuptial exhortation, by desiring 
the bride to be a dutiful and industrious helpmate, 
and recommending the bridegroom to labour zeal- 
ously for the support of his family, not forgetting to 
remind him to pay his taxes, and provide an occa- 
sional entertainment for his chief. 
The Travels of M. Le Vaillant have been trans- 
lated into most of the European languages. Of his 
scientific works, we may mention his “ Natural 
History of the Birds of Africa,” which was published 
in Paris in 6 vols. 4to. between the years 1796 and 
1812. His “ Natural History of Parroquets” was 
published in 1801-5 in 2 vols. 4to., and his “ Natu- 
ral History of the Birds of Paradise” appeared at 
the same time, also in quarto. He produced one or 
two other works on his favourite subject of omitho- 
logy, which are not so well known to the English 
public as the preceding. Ilis drawings are distin- 
guished for their fidelity to nature, as he had seen 
in their native habitats almost every bird which he 
