fhort, thick, and robuft. : The fmall eye, elliptical at the end
next to the nofe, is a predominating feature in the caft o f both
the Tartar and the Chinefe countenance, and they have both
the fame high cheek bones and pointed chins, which, with
the cuftom o f fhaving off the hair, gives to the head the ihape
o f an inverted cone, remarkable enough in fome fubje&s, but
neither fo general, nor fo Angular, as to warrant their being
confidered among the monjiers in nature, Homo monjlrofus, ma~
crocephalus, capite conico, Chinenjis * . T he head o f our worthy
condudtor Van-ta-gin, who was a real Chinefe, had nothing in
its ihape different from that o f an European, except the eye.
T he portrait o f this gentleman, drawn by Mr. Hickey, is fo
ftrong a likenefs, and he was defervedly fo great a favourite o f
every Engliihman in the train o f the Britifh Embaffador, that I
am happy in having an opportunity o f placing it at the head o f
this work,
T he natural colour both o f the Chinefe and Tartars feems to
be that tint between a fair and dark complexion, which we dif-
tinguiih by the word brunet or brunette; and the ihades o f this complexion
are deeper; or lighter, according as they have been
more or lefs expofed to the influence o f the climate. The
women o f the lower clafs, who labour in the fields or who
dwell in veffels, are almoft invariably coarfe, ill-featured, and
o f a deep brown complexion, like that o f the Hottentot. But
this we find to be the cafe among the poor o f almoft every nation.
Hard labour, fcanty fare, and early and frequent parturi-
* Linn. Syfteraa N a tu r* .
tion,
tion, foon wither the delicate buds o f beauty. The fprightli-
nefs and expreflion o f the features, as well as the colour o f the
ikin, which diftinguiih the higher ranks from the vulgar, are
the effects o f eafe and education. We faw women in China,
though very few, that might pafs for beauties even in Europe.
The Malay features however prevail in moft; a fmall black or
dark brown eye, a ihort rounded nofe, generally a little flattened,
lips confiderably thicker than in Europeans, and black
hair, are univerfal.
T he Man-tchoo Tartars would appear to be compofed o f a
mixed race: among thefe we obferved feveral, both men and
women, that were extremely fair and o f florid complexions:
fome had light blue eyes, ftreight or aquiline nofes, brown hair,
immenfe buihy beards, and had much more the appearance o f
Greeks than o f Tartars. It is certainly not improbable that the
Greeks o f Sogdiana, whofe defendants muft have blended with
the weftern Tartars and with whom the Man-tchoos were
connected, may have communicated this caft o f countenance.
Tcbien-Lung, whofe nofe was fomewhat aquiline and complexion
florid, ufed to boaft o f his defcent from Gengis-kban :
thefe, however, are exceptions to the general chara&er, which
is evidently the fame as that o f the Chinefe.
w But although their appearance and manners are externally
the fame, a clofer acquaintance foon difcovers that in difpofition
they are widely different. Thofe who are better pleafed with a
blunt fincerity bordering on rudenefs than a ftudied complai-
fance approaching to fervility; who may think it better to be
8 8 robbed