the expiration of which time, the body being sufficiently
decomposed, is exhumed. The bones are
cleaned, and are deposited in an earthenware jar,
and carried .to a spot near the town which is
regarded as the cemetery. I observed that they were
not particular in regarding the spot as sacred, as
signs.of nuisances were present even upon the bones,
that in civilized countries would have been regarded
as an insult.
There is little difficulty in describing the toilette of
the natives that of the men being simplified by the
sole covering of the head, the body being entirely nude.
I t is curious to observe among these wild savages the
consummate vanity displayed in their head-dresses.
Every tribe has a distinct and unchanging fashion
for dressing the h a ir; and so elaborate is the coiffure
that hair-dressing is reduced to a science. European
ladies would be startled at the fact, that to perfect the
coiffure of a man requires a period of from eight to
ten years! However tedious the operation, the result
is extraordinary. The Latookas wear most exquisite
helmets, all of which are formed of their own hair;
and are, of course, fixtures. At first sight it appears
incredible, but a minute examination shows the wonderful
perseverance of years in producing what must
be highly inconvenient. The thick, crisp wool is
woven with fine twine, formed from the bark of a
tree, until it presents a thick net-work of felt. As
the hair grows through this matted substance it is
subjected to the same process, until, in the course of
years, a. compact substance is formed like a strong
felt, about an inch and a half thick, that has been
trained into the shape of a helmet. A strong rim,
of about two inches deep, is formed by sewing it
together with thread; and the front part of the
helmet is protected by a piece of polished copper;
while a piece of the same metal, shaped like the half
of a bishop’s mitre and about a foot in length, forms
the crest. The framework of the helmet being at
length completed, it must be perfected by an arrangement
of beads, should the owner of the head be sufficiently
rich to indulge in the coveted distinction.
The beads most in fashion are the red and the blue
porcelain, about the size of small peas. These are
sewn on the surface of the felt, and so beautifully
arranged in sections of blue and red that the entire
helmet appears to be formed of beads ; and the handsome
crest of polished copper, surmounted by ostrich-
plumes, gives a most dignified and martial appearance
to this elaborate head-dress. No helmet is supposed
to be complete without a row of cowrie-shells
stitched around the rim so as to form a solid edge.
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