more pleasure, than we did upon-them, i t
was now the season for drying fish, and'they
were employed in this operation at the time
of our arrival. Some were turning those that
were laid out to dry upon the shore; another
groupe was carrying, in hand-barrows, the
fish from the drying place to a spot higher
up the beach, where other persons were employed
in packing them in great stacks, and
pressing them down with:stones, to make
them flat. Most of this business was performed
by women, some of whom were 'very
stout and lusty, but excessively filthy, and,
as we passed the crowd, a strong and very
rancid smell assailed our noses. The first
peculiarity about the women, which strikes
the attention of a stranger, is the remarkable
tightness of their dress about the breast, where
the jacket is, from their early infancy, always
kept so closely laced, as to be quite flat, a
practice which, while it must be a great inconvenience
to themselves, entirely ruins their
figure in the eyes of those who eome from a
more civilized part of the world. Their dress
is not otherwise unbecoming, except that
the waist is too long, and, from its warmth,
R E ÏK E V I6 .
it rhUst be well suited to the coldness of this
climate. Upon their heads, in their working,
or common, dress, they wear a blue woollen
cap, With a long point, which hangs down
by1 the side of the head, and is terminated
by a tassel, nearly resembling such as is
Worn by many of oür horse-soldiers, in their
Undress uniform, and this tassel is often ornamented
with silver wire. When they have
this head-dress, their long and dirty hair is
suffered to hang over their shoulders to a!
great length; but not so, when thé Faldur,
or dress-cap, is worn : then the hair is carefully
tucked up, so that none of it is seen.
As, however, I shall confine myself at present
to the dress of those females whom I saw at
work when I landed, I shall reserve my description
of the turban, and of the costume of
thé richer people, till another opportunity.
Over a great number of coarse woollen petticoats,
which make them look of a most unnatural
size, and a shirt of the same materials,
they wear a thick petticoat,*or rather
gown without sleeves, (for there aire two
apertures for the arms,) made of blue or
black cloth, and fastened down the breast,
either by lacing, or, as js more common;