Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 8.djvu/114

TODA MEN.—TODA WOMEN. inches, and height from base of alæ to ridge one and a half inches, breadth of alæ from side to side one and a half inches; upper lip narrow, lower lip thick or full, and face covered with a close thick mustachios, whiskers, and beard, all of which are worn full; ears of moderate size, and lying close to the skull; teeth white, clean, and regular; head well covered with black hair of moderate fineness, and worn in a peculiar fashion, combed smoothly around from the crown, and cropped evenly in a line with the eyebrows, covering the head very much like a natural skull cap; body of the male hirsute, especially on back and chest, &c.

"The women of the tribe are generally tall and stalwart; good looking, both in features and person, with a smooth, clear, and delicate skin, fresh and rather fair in complexion. They have more of an aquiline nose than the men, which, however, does not diminish the strong feminine cast of their features; the hair is of a lighter colour than in the male, parted in the centre, and carefully combed around and behind the ears, and left hanging over the shoulders and back, in a mass of flowing curls in some, in others wavy. The females, like the males, are self-possessed in a great degree, and readily enter into conversation with strangers be they white or black. It has been averred that the Toda females as a class are strikingly handsome and comely in features; but, although many of them possess charms in person of a robust character, I cannot say that I ever met with one with a handsome or a pretty face, much less with any with features approaching in perfection or beauty to a classical model."

In regard to the fine masses of wavy curls worn by Toda women, the writer of this notice, when at the Neelgerries, was much struck with the beauty of the glossy brown hair of a young female who, with others, had brought baskets of mushrooms for sale. They also were in great admiration of the curls of his wife; and, being asked how the curls were contrived, the Toda girl went to a hedge near, and pulled a stem of a tough wild creeper which grew there; having smoothed one of her locks with her fingers, she wound her hair round it, twisting up her creeper stem into a knot, which confined the whole, exactly as an English lady would use a curl paper. This process was used as often as necessary, but not every day. It will be seen by the Photograph that both the figures have long curls. The costume of both sexes is very similar; it consists of a long piece of coarse but very soft cotton cloth, which envelopes the whole person. The male cloths have usually a red stripe as a border; the garment is hung over the left shoulder, brought across the back and forward under the right arm, the point being flung backwards over the left shoulder, again leaving the right arm at liberty, and allowing the folds to fall gracefully about the lower part of the person down to the knees. The womens' garment is of similar material, and is often ornamented by a rude kind of embroidery, executed by the women, in coloured