Libr@rsi

1656-58]
RELA TION OF 1657-58
the Savages go almost half naked during the Winter,
while the French dress as warmly as they can.
Concerning the sense of sight, it is quite certain
that, in general, it is more perfect among the
Savages than among the French, as is proved by experience
nearly every day. If any object is to be
descried, the French
much as those of the
do not trust their own eyes so
Savages. The latter all have
black eyes, and smaller than other people's. I would
readily believe that the superiority enjoyed by them
over us, in this particular, is due to their not drink-
ing wine or eating salt, spices, or other things capable
of drying up the humors of the eye and impairing
its tone. However it may be regarding the
excellence of their eyesight, it must be admitted that
it often finds beauty where ours sees only ugliness.
Those who say that the beauty of a face consists in
and in the whiteness
the symmetry of its [109] parts
and vermilion covering it, must retract one-half of
their definition if they would not offend the Africans,
the Americans, and many Asiatics. But let us take
up the details of this subject.
In France, to make a face more beautiful,
it is
cleansed of oil and washed as carefully as possible.
The Savages, on the contrary, anoint and grease it
as much as they can, thinking it more pleasing the
more shiny it is with their grease or oil. To make
oneself hideous in Europe, one daubs himself with
black,. yellow, and blue; and that is the very thing
that makes a Savage handsome and of very pleasing
appearance. When one of them wishes to pay a visit
or attend some feast or dance, he has his face painted
in various colors by some woman or girl ; for that is
one of their arts, as it was of old among the Jews.