7S6 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



well-formed leg is seldom seen 

 among them; this may proceed 

 from their constantly silting cross- 

 legged, with tl)eir legs under them, 

 like the tailors of Europe, or per- 

 haps from their wearing no cover- 

 ing to their legs, which are thus 

 exposed to all weatheri:. Deform- 

 ed persor.s are rarely met with ; 

 the loose Arabian dress covers de- 

 formity, and their mode of bring- 

 ing up children (every thing be- 

 ing left to follow nature) gene- 

 rally prevents it. Corns and de- 

 formed feet are unknown ; the 

 toes take their natural growth, 

 and are as useful to the mechanics 

 as their fingers. Lame people are 

 seldom seen ; but the blind are 

 more numerous than in Europe. 

 Both sexes have very fine teeth. 

 Their complexion, from frequent 

 intermarriage, or intercourse with 

 the Soudanic race, is of all shades, 

 from black to white. The women 

 of Fas are as fair as the Europeans, 

 with the exception of their eyes 

 and hair, which are universally 

 dark. Those of Mequinas are in 

 general so handsome, that it is a 

 rare thing to see a young woman 

 in that city who is not pretty. 

 With large, black, and expressive 

 sparkling eyes, they possess a 

 liealthy countenance, uniting the 

 colours of the lily and the rose, 

 that beautiful red and white so 

 much admired by foreigners in our 

 English ladies ; indeed their beau- 

 ty is proverbial, as the term Me- 

 quinasia is applied to any beauti- 

 ful woman of elegant form, with 

 sparkling eyes, and white teeth; 

 they also possess a modesty and 

 suavity of manners rarely met with 

 elsewhere. It is extraordinary 

 that the inhabitants of two great 

 and populous cities, situated with- 



in a day's journey of each ether, 

 should discover such a physiogno- 

 mical difference, as is apparent be- 

 tween the females of Fas and 

 those of Mequinas, the former be- 

 ing generally of a sallow or pale 

 complexion. The women of Du- 

 quella are ordinary and diminutive, 

 whilst the men are the reverse ; be- 

 ing tall, and well-limbed, with re- 

 gular features. The men of Tera- 

 sena, and Shawia, are a strong, 

 robust race, of a copper colour: 

 their women possess much beau- 

 ty, and have features highly expres- 

 sive ; and the animation of the 

 countenance is increased by the 

 use of el kahol filelly, with which 

 they tinge their eye- lashes and eye- 

 brows, as already described. In 

 these provinces they are particu- 

 larly fond of dyeing their hands 

 and feet with a preparation of the 

 herb henna, which gives them a 

 beautiful orange colour, and in 

 hot weather, imparts a pleasing 

 coolness and softness to the hands, 

 by preventing, in a considerable de- 

 gree, the quickness of perspiration. 

 The people of this empire being 

 born subjects of an arbitrary des- 

 pot, they may be said to have no 

 established laws : they know no 

 other than the will of the prince, 

 and if this should deviate, as it 

 sometimes does, from the moral 

 principles laid down in the Koran, 

 it must be obeyed. Where the 

 emperor resides, he administers 

 justice, in person, generally twice, 

 and sometimes four times a week, 

 in the (M'shoire) place of au- 

 dience, whither all complaints are 

 carried : here access is easy : he 

 listens to every one, foreigners or 

 subjects, men or women, rich or 

 poor; there is no distinction, every 

 one has a right to appear before 



him, 



