sunken eyes and lowered head. This has occurred when he has detected
them in a falsehood, or has accused them of ingratitude. The pale,
sallow complexions of these men render a blush much more conspicuous
than in most of the other natives of India. With the latter, shame, or
it may be in part fear, is expressed, according to Mr. Scott, much more
plainly by the head being averted or bent down, with the eyes wavering
or turned askant, than by any change of colour in the skin.
The Semitic races blush freely, as might have been expected, from their
general similitude to the Aryans. Thus with the Jews, it is said in the
Book of Jeremiah (chap. vi. 15), Nay, they were not at all ashamed,
neither could they blush. Mrs. Asa Gray saw an Arab managing his boat
clumsily on the Nile, and when laughed at by his companions, he
blushed quite to the back of his neck. Lady Duff Gordon remarks that a
young Arab blushed on coming into her presence.[1310]
Mr. Swinhoe has seen the Chinese blushing, but he thinks it is rare;
yet they have the expression to redden with shame. Mr. Geach informs
me that the Chinese settled in Malacca and the native Malays of the
interior both blush. Some of these people go nearly naked, and he
particularly attended to the downward extension of the blush. Omitting
the cases in which the face alone was seen to blush, Mr. Geach observed
that the face, arms, and breast of a Chinaman, aged 24 years, reddened
from shame; and with another Chinese, when asked why he had not done
his work in better style, the whole body was similarly affected. In two
Malays[1311] he saw the face, neck, breast, and arms blushing; and in a
third Malay (a Bugis) the blush extended down to the waist.
The Polynesians blush freely. The Rev. Mr. Stack has seen hundreds of
instances with the New Zealanders. The following case is worth giving,
as it relates to an old man who was unusually dark-coloured and partly
tattooed. After having let his land to an Englishman for a small yearly
rental, a strong passion seized him to buy a gig, which had lately
become the fashion with the Maoris. He consequently wished to draw all
the rent for four years from his tenant, and consulted Mr. Stack
whether he could do so. The man was old, clumsy, poor, and ragged, and
the idea of his driving himself about in his carriage for display
amused Mr. Stack so much that he could not help bursting out into a
laugh; and then the old man blushed up to the roots of his hair.
Forster says that you may easily distinguish a spreading blush on the
208