Indian Antiquary Vol 21

SR No.: 032513
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 430
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 17 MB

Page 229

JULY, 1892.]
MISCELLANEA.
217
In the presence of strangers the women either are also used. Women wear skewers in their stand or kneel. Any other position they could hair, but no feathers. not with modesty or decency assume on account Necklaces are much worn by both men and of their scanty skirts.
women. They are made of beads of all kinds, The men tie up their hair with bits of rag,-red glass marbles with holes drilled through them, for choice. The hair is grown long.
white metal bands, little bells like ferret-bells, In the cold weather men and women wrap
cockspurs, teeth of hog.deer, cockle shells, kauris, blankets of Burmese or European manufacture
coral, and stones, according to fancy. round their shoulders.
Earrings of one pattern only are worn by men ; The Yindu man (see Plate B) wears a largúti,
they are plain flat rings about two inches in diasimilar to that worn by the Chinbôks, and also
meter, supposed to be made of gold, but are pro
bably generally of brass. They can be put on or off a loose blouse, without sleeves and open at the throat, which reaches down to below the knees.
at pleasure by pressing the ends in opposite direcExcept in cold weather, they take their arms out
tions. The elasticity of the metel keeps them of the sleeve-holes and wind the upper part of
closed under ordinary circumstances. The holes
in the ears are much pulled down by the weight the garment round their waists. The dress of
of these rings. The women have large holes in the women (see Plate B) is similar to that of the
their ears, in which they stuff thin strips of Chinbok women, except that the Yindu women,
bamboo tightly rolled up. The only women I as well as the men, wear the blouse I have des
have seen actually wearing earrings were some cribed above in addition to their other garments.
Chinbók women on the Maungchaung, who wore The Yindus also use extra wraps and blankets
bits of telegraph-wire about five inches long bent in the cold weather.
into an oval-shaped ring! The dress of the more civilized Chinbôns is
Bracelets of brass wire are much worn by the exactly similar to that worn by the hundreds of
men, sometimes nearly the whole of the right emigrated Chinbûns, who live in the Laungehê forearm being enveloped in rounds of wire. They township, and closely resembles the dress of the
seldom wear them on the left arm. The women Burmans. The less civilized Chinbôns, who live
do not wear brass, but a white-metal branelet. on the Arakan side of the Yômùs, wear what can hardly be called even an apology for clothing
Wristlets to protect the left arm from the bowIt is stated that some even use the bark of trees
string are always worn by men. Among the Chin. to hide their nakedness. The Biblical fig-leaf
bôks they are made of cane wicker-work lacquered would be more covering than was worn by some
over ; but sometimes a strip of leather is used. of the villagers we met.
These wristlets are about six inches in length
and are frequently ornamented with bells. The Ornaments.--The clothing above described is
Yindus wind a piece of string or rope round their supplemented by various ornaments. To begin
wrists in lieu of the wristlets described above. with, the head is often decorated with coils of beads of different colours, kaurte, &c. Brass
The Chinboks of the Chèchaung wear long brass skewers are generally stuck into the hair, and,
| guards, enveloping the whole of the back of the in the case of the Yindus, are generally beautified
left arm up to the elbow, which are kept in by tassels of goat's hair dyed red or bunches of position by the wristlets. They are intended the teeth of the hog-deer. These skewers are
partly to protect the arm from dagger-wounds used for scratching their heads, which are full when fighting, and partly for ornament. of lice. Sometimes bone, ivory, bamboo, or Arms and Accoutrements.-Among the Chinporcupine quill skewers are worn. Feathers bôks and Yindus every male.carries a bow (see are universally used as head decorations by the Plate C) from the time he begins to toddle. men. Sometimes only a few, generally white cocks', It is made of bamboo, well seasoned by being feathers, are stuck into the topknot, for they smoked for several years over the fireplace wear their hair like Burmans: sometimes the in the hut. It takes five years' seasoning to whole of a cock's tail and part of the back is thoroughly mature a bow. The length of the worn. In the latter case the bird is skinned, and bow of an adult is usually about four feet. It the part to be worn is dried and stretched on is thickest at the centre and tapers to the ends, a bamboo frame with a bamboo skewer to stick where it is notched to hold the string. The into the hair. This arrangement is worn at the string is made of cotton, sometimes plaited with back of the head and presents a peculiarly bamboo and other fibres. When bows are not ludicrous appearance. Green parrots' feathers' in use they are frequently unstrung.