it62 The J)ntch p f '£etjlQn*
•Dutch ms rather' . calculated fur .men,. mud' too/ihursh -for the
mouth of a lady..
Although the „m§p .would not appear-.very amiable in the-my^
of .our ^British ladies, yet their Dutch AY-fSidqok upo|i ;theru
with the greatest veneration and affeqtiop. | Conscious gf ptheir
. o ^ m d |^ ^ n^d,alw^^eptvatf%gf&^#§^nce
they Took, upon |their,..caresses J.as aj^^ryhoiiour, aud ta^e t-t^rCr-
jore extremely ^ jealousKraljtheir favours- Add tySt
mannersi after marriage are the worst calculated «-posstfalfe- to
preserve the attadiment,pf1thek .husbands; indeed in men -pf
.any. delicacy they could, onjy produce ^aversion ;apd.disgust. The
Dutcb ladies, -whifeyojung and unmarried,
.rable-in their persons, and many among- them ,jpre tty and, ©yen
ha nflsninfi; hnt.. afterwards they .contmqtiyfpeh lazy and- indolent
-habits that they become ..coarse, corpulent,;mnd; dipty |in • their-
.persons^and their .dress-.during the day is slovenly and pegiL-
igent . to- excess. g %
Tmthia. flimate. mnd -with these habits .of. life^it would r;1ae in
,vain , to look for the .bloom of ; health mnd t^eV' ^ 15?^
mnd / white in the cheeks o f : the women; .tljeh co^pl&xipp%jare
-for the -most part o fm jpale , deadly white,, although
.some exceptions to this observation, and m:'few^^i^l© ?rpiaatA“
t waW.es ta . be fompdthat might b e;accouhted h a j^G ^ e r^Q n jip
.tlie. opinion, of an .European. Th^e.,women, who ;havp;a qux-
..ture of .the,-uatiYe? 'blood, .are. easily . distinguished , by m difigOilp
the colour of ■ the - skin, mnd. . th e ir. strong A iA
.marks which are not ;to. be removed. : ip the epurse pb-naany
.generations. The .women of this mised race, .of ’fhonii-AttP
gre a great number,in all the Dutch settlements, SQOner begin
to Took i old than those t»who.»jure wholly 0^ i.Epfopean .extrac-
The- Dutch 6fiGeyhti\ 165'
tioh.. ::The; ©utcMi iadies' haveia1custom Sleracking their joints,
and< rubbing themo oYeff-Aitbyod’, • w-hMaJirerideKS'-Them uncom-
Dancing frisf the;; principal amusCMpfent, o'Pfte^y,oung6^vy®men
while the chief-- gfedsurfe oh the, niarried^and^elder-ly ladf® .|eon-
sisfs in I'paying4 mfmdlwhd&) ete^hfeotiiou^ 1 visits 'toV- each other.
To'-thesef virist^theyV'gohaidttendedy byf Wihumber-rof': slave girls!?
dressed 'Out for, the occasion. }f These girispwalk after -them-, earn
xying. their beteriboxesri -dr'^are emplpyfed^imbeariHg umbrellas
over fthe*4reaids"'6f th'eir ifrte'tresSes, >r'$vho-xildbrn- wear 'aqj® head-
dress^. b u t have their1 hain'eambrih ’closely frajjek and shining)
wi£h oil. Theiar chief fintery ^eomsist^rin PT^^femate• attendants^
and flick spl^nddf is ’ estiWated by the-number of them ■ which;
they ea-n afford- to -k eep .-- These §kves-*ai:g the -tcomelist ■ gkls
that Wapf ?:bi» ^f^duredv and their mistresses, im general- behave
yeiy kindtec to'- tifthm, ‘ Wifly thafr caprieeyi^^eSidrriiw.hichah-
ways attends pOwfer in -the*- hands %>©£? A® ignorant and narrowminded,
'dire Dutch ladiest frequently befaaYe in a? Very, erueL
and blrjustr manner to - their female att-endants5.' - upons very
trifring bccas'ion^ and in particular on the slighest suspicion of
|) | - - < ' ' * , >w
The unmarried ladies'usually pay considerable attention do- their
dress; ' and, 4*riftce the conquest of the island by-out forces^ have
greatly imprekfed thefe. appearance by adopting the English
fashions; ^ On my first-arrival in the-island,' they dressed in the
Dutch manner witii long waists and stiff hi^a Stays, which to me
appeared very gfotesqU# and awkward. The dress wbrr^by-imany
of them, which is a mixture of the Europeanand native fashions,
is ‘light and. pretty. It consists of a piece of fine cotton cloth
wrapped round the body, and fastened under the arms, which
y 2