IG 
ISLAND OF SEGA LIEN. 
Inhabitants of the Island of Segalien, near China. 
La Perouse, and M. Rollin the surgeon of his ship, both describe 
the natives of this island as a worthy and intelligent people. Of the 
presents which were made to them, they seemed to set a value only on 
such as were useful. Iron and stuffs prevailed over everything; 
they understood metals as well as their guests, and for ornament pre- 
ferred silver to copper, and copper to iron. They use looms, which 
though small are very complete, and by means of spindles they pre- 
pare thread of the hair of animals, of the bark of the willow, arid of the 
great nettle, from which they make their stuffs. They are of a mode- 
rate size, squat, and strong-built, with the muscles of their bodies very 
exactly defined ; their common height is five feet, and the greater 
does not exceed 5 feet 4 inches ; but men of this size are uncommon. 
They have all a large head, and a broader and more rounded face than 
Europeans ; their countenance is animated and agreeable, though 
destitute of that grace which we esteem essential to beauty ; they 
have large cheeks, a short nose rounded at its extremity, with very 
broad nostrils ; their eyes are lively, of a moderate size, for the most 
part black, though some are blue ; their eye-brows are bushy, voice 
strong, lips rather thick, and of a dull red ; in several the upper lip 
was tattoed, and tinged blue ; these, as well as their eyes, are capable 
of every variety of expression ; their teeth are white and even, their chin 
is rounded and a little advancing ; their ears are small, they bore them, 
and wear in them glass ornaments or silver rings. The women are not 
so large as the men, and are of a more rounded and delicate figure, 
though there is little difference between their features. Their upper 
lip is tattoed all over of a blue colour, and they wear their hair long 
and flowing ; their dress hardly differs from that of the men ; the skin 
in both sexes is tawny, and their nails, which they suffer to grow to a 
great length, is a shade darker than that of Europeans. These 
islanders are very hairy, and have long beards, which give to the 
old men a venerable air, these last appear to be held in much respect. 
The hair of their head is black, smooth, and moderately strong ; in 
some it is of a chesnut colour ; they all wear it round, about six inches 
long behind, and cut into a brush on the top of their heads, and over 
the temples. Their clothing consists of a kind of surtout, which wraps 
over before, where it is fastened by little buttons, strings, and a gir- 
dle placed above the haunches. This surtout is made of skin or 
quilted nankeen, a kind of stuff that they make of w'illow bark; it 
generally reaches to the calf of the leg, sometimes low'er ; some of them 
wear seal-skin boots, the feet of which, in form and workmanship, 
resemble the Chinese shoe, but the greater number go bare-footed 
and bare-headed ; a few wear a bandage of bear-skin round the head, 
as an ornament. Like the Chinese, they all wear a girdle, to which 
they hang their knife as a defence against the bears, and several little 
pockets, into which they put their flint and steel, their pipe, and their 
box of tobacco ; for they make a general practice of smoking. 
Their huts are sufficient to defend them against the rain, but are 
very small in proportion to the inhabitants. The roof is formed 
