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PLATE XLII.
AN UNMARRIED FEMALE YAKOUTI.
IF the Yakouti evince no skill or ingenuity in other departments, they
are certainly not M'ithout a considerable portion of it in the management
of their dress, of which they have two sorts, one for summer
and another for -winter. Neither men nor women wear linen, or any
thing of the sort, next their flesh. Their summer habit consists of
some soft skin, tanned, and resembling the chamois in colour. Their
winter garments are made of various sorts of furs, but chiefly from the
rein-deer. The men cut their hair very close to their heads, and suffer
their beards to grow as thick as they will, though they are but thin.
In summer they go bare-headed, but in winter they wear fur bonnets,
and sometimes they make them -v^ ith the head of some animal. Their
boots are made of skin, and frequently very much embroidered, especially
those of the women. All their clothes are ornamented with
worked borders, which have a fanciful and rather elegant appearance.
The female dress resembles that of the men in many parts, but is still
more ornamented. When the women wish to be most adorned, they
put on a sort of vest about six inches shorter, and without sleeves,
over their other garments : this vest is made either of skins or very fine
cloth, and is ornamented witli white and various-coloured fringes and
borders, and also with white and coloui-ed hair. The married women
ornament their heads in a curious manner, as seen in the last Plate;
while the unmarried alw ays plait their hair in tw o large braids, and
^^•ear a sort of bandeau upon their heads, made of skins, and covered
vvitli beads and pieces of coral; rows of glass beads hang from each side
of the Ixuidcau, and also a piece of cloth or skin, eight inches long and
four wide, hangs down from the top of the head to the shoulders.
'J1iis ornanuint is covered with embroidery and glass beads. All the
people of this tril-e arc -rt ell dressed, and their habits are made with
great skill by the w omen.