The sexism might be better described as rude and politically incorrect honesty. For example, aboriginal women, especially older ones, have often very wide and flat noses (1, 2, 3, 4), which most people around the world likely find ugly (except perhaps aboriginals themselves?) even if they nowadays would not admit that because it would be perceived as cruel and/or politically incorrect. But in 1899 these modern inhibitions didn’t really exist.
The sexism might be better described as rude and politically incorrect honesty. For example, aboriginal women, especially older ones, have often very wide and flat noses (1, 2, 3, 4), which most people around the world likely find ugly (except perhaps aboriginals themselves?) even if they nowadays would not admit that because it would be perceived as cruel and/or politically incorrect. But in 1899 these modern inhibitions didn’t really exist.