Honoria Lawrence

"Here is no part of the costume where the natives shew such variety of taste as in the arranging of the hair. And this does not as far as I can see depend on religious distinction. Some cover the head with a load of folded cloth, others wear no covering on it, and have the hair cropped close. Some wear little caps and the hair reaching down to the shoulders, where it is cut square across. Others have a broad line shaven from the forehead to the nape of the neck, and others cut off the hair above the forehead from ear to ear. And it is not uncommon to see the whole head shaven except one long tuft on the crown. The Mussulmanns have generally fine beards. But the Hindoos almost always shave theirs."

"The children when very young go about absolutely naked with long hair, their ankles and wrists adorned with silver, tin or coloured glass. Up to ten or twelve, they wear only a waist-cloth and piece of cotton round their shoulders. At this age they are generally much disfigured but the collyrium which is applied within the eyelid and gives to the eyes for a long time a weak and bleared appearance. The swarms of children in every village are absolutely astounding, outdoing Ireland over and over."

"A great part of the population live entirely upon the water. Long, large, unwieldy boats thatched over, not an uncomfortable dwelling in a climate like this. An earthen fireplace for cooking, a very rude spinning wheel, a hutch for fowls, a fishing net and a few earthen cooking pots seem the sole furniture. I don’t know what becomes of the men belonging to these boats, for one seldom sees in them any but women and children. The women here row stoutly and the children are quite amphibious. It is strange to see the swarms of little things, dark and shining like tadpoles in the shallow water near the banks."