Page 407
An.1687
The Chinese compelled to cut their Hair.
are long Visaged, and their Foreheads are high; but they have little Eyes. Their Noses are pretty large, with a rising in the middle. Their Mouths are of a mean size, pretty thin Lips. They are of an ashy complexion; their Hair is black, and their Beards thin and long, for they pluck the hair out by the roots, suffering only some few very long straggling Hairs to grow about their Chin, in which they take great pride, often combing them, and sometimes tying them up in a knot, and they have such Hairs too growing down from each side of their upper Lip like Whiskers. The ancient Chinese were very proud of the Hair of their Heads, letting it grow very long, and stroking it back with their Hands curiously, and then winding the plats all together round a Bodkin, thrust through it at the hinder part of the Head; and both Men and Women did thus. But when the Tartars con- quer'd them, they broke them of this custom they were fond of, by main force; infomuch that they resented this imposition worse than their subjection, and rebelled upon it: but being still worrted, were forc'd to acquiesce; and to this day they follow the fashion of their Masters the Tartars, and shave all their Heads, only reserving one Lock; which some tye up, others let it hang down to a great or small length as they please. The Chinese in other Countries still keep their old custom, but if any of the Chinese is found wearing long Hair in China, he forfeits his Head; and many of them have abandoned their Country to preserve their liberty of wearing their Hair, as I have been told by themselves.
The Chinese have no Hats, Caps, or Turbans; but when they walk abroad, they carry a small Umbrello in their hands, wherewith they fence their heads from the Sun or the Rain, by holding it over their heads. If they walk but a little way, they