Harkness, Henry: A description of a singular aboriginal race inhabiting the summit of the Neilgherry Hills, or Blue Mountains of Coimbatoor, in the Southern Peninsula of India (London, 1832)

DRESS—FEMALE ORNAMENTS. lJ

down from the back of the neck between the shoulders.
On the arms, immediately above the elbow, they wear
a pair of armlets of brass, those of the right arm being
much larger than those of the left; silver bracelets are on
the wrists; and on the fingers and thumbs of each hand,
a number of rings of various descriptions. They also
wear a zone round the waist composed of a sort of chain
work, of either silver or a mixed metal resembling brass.

Their upper garment, or mantle, resembles that of the
men; but it is worn differently, and, reaching to the feet,
envelopes the whole frame.

This attire is by no means graceful ; it gives them
an unfeminine and mummy-like appearance ; and neither
they nor the men having any pretensions to cleanliness,
this wrapper is, from that circumstance, often rendered
still more unseemly.

They are, however, a lively, laughter-loving race, and
in the sudden transition and free expression of their
sentiments, shew a strength of feeling, and correctness
of thought, little to be expected under such a garb.

One of them, Nuskyobe, whose name had attracted
my attention, came into my room one day, and seating
herself on the edge of the carpet, was looking at her son,
a fine boy of six or seven years of age, who, to the amuse-
ment of himself and several lookers on, was imitating the
antics and grimace of the dancing girls of the low country.
On turning towards them, I was amused to observe the