“ Something than beauty .dearer, should we look 
“ Or on the mind, or mind illumin'd face; 
“ Truth, goodness, honour, harmony, and love, 
“ The richest bounty of indulgent heaven !” Thomson. 
No women can be more attentive to cleanliness than the Hin- 
doos: they take every method to render their persons delicate, 
soft, and attractive: their dress is peculiarly becoming; consisting 
of a long piece of silk, or cotton, tied round the waist, and hang- 
ing in a graceful manner to the feet, it is afterwards brought over 
the body in negligent folds; under this they cover the bosom with 
a short waistcoat of satin, but wear no linen. Their long black 
hair is adorned with jewels, and wreaths of flowers: their ears 
are bored in many places, and loaded with pearls: a variety of 
gold chains, strings of pearl, and precious stones, fall from the 
neck over the bosom; and the arms are covered with bracelets, 
from the wrist to the elbow; they have also gold and silver chains 
round the ancles, and abundance of rings on their fingers and toes; 
among the former is frequently a small mirror. I think the richer 
the dress, the less becoming it appears; and a Hindoo woman of 
distinction always seems to be overloaded with finery; while the 
village nymphs, with fewer ornaments, but in the same elegant 
drapery, are more captivating: although there are very few wo- 
men, even of the lowest families, who have not some jewels at their 
marriage. 
In these external decorations consist the pride and pleasure of 
these uninstructed females; for very few, even in the best families, 
know how to read or write, or are capable of intellectual enjoy- 
ment We learn from liomer, that the women in ancient Greece 
