214 MARTIN RATTLER.

painted in a fantastic style, were also decorated with
flowers and. feathers. Martin could not help feeling
that, however absurd the idea of painting the body
was, it had at least the good effect of doing away to
some extent with the idea of nakedness; for the
curious patterns and devices gave to the Indians the
appearance of being clothed in tights—and, at any
rate, he argued mentally, paint was better than
nothing. Some of the flowers were artificially con-
structed out of beetles’ wings, shells, fish-scales, and
feathers, and were exquisitely beautiful as well as
gorgeous.

One of the younger women struck Martin as being
ultra-fashionable in her paint. Her black shining
hair hung like a cloak over her reddish-brown
shoulders, and various strange drawings and figures
ornamented her face and breast. On each cheek she
had a circle, and over that two strokes. Under the
nose were four red spots. From the corners of her
mouth to the middle of each cheek were two parallel
lines, and below these several upright stripes. Gn
various parts of her back and shoulders were curiously
entwined circles, and the form of a snake was depicted
in vermilion down each arm. Unlike the others, she
wore no ornament except a simple necklace of monkeys’

teeth. This beauty was particularly active in manu-