Liberia ♦ 



As far back as the first coming of the Portuguese and Dutch 

 it was observed in the western parts of the Grain Coast 

 (presumably amongst the Vai people) that the men had taken 

 to wearing ample large-sleeved garments that hung from the 

 neck to below the knee. A good many of the Vai, Gora, 

 and Buzi do not wear these voluminous garments when they 

 are at work in the bush, out hunting, or in the privacy of 

 their homes. They may then reduce their clothing to a 

 waist-cloth. But Mandingo men generally put on first a loin- 

 cloth, then a pair of baggy breeches which are tight over the 

 calves and very loose in the seat. These are more or less of 

 Moorish origin. Over these breeches a sleeved shirt or smock 

 is worn, and over this again the voluminous duma, bubu, tauh, 

 or tobe of the Western Sudan, an amplification no doubt of the 

 Moorish and Egyptian jubbah or gandura. This is generally 

 a huge garment, with a large hole in the middle (through 

 which the head is passed), and sleeves which are as broad as 

 they are long. It hangs very loosely about the body. The 

 opening in front is cut sometimes rather low, so that it shows a 

 piece of the white shirt underneath. The borders of this open- 

 ing round the neck and sides of the bubu over the chest are 

 sometimes pleated and gathered and ornamented with a patch- 

 work embroidery. On the other hand, often this loose garment 

 is made like a dalmatic in shape, and its material is black 

 velvet (amongst the Mandingos who are in touch with the 

 coast trading stations) or even silk, or very dark indigo-dyed 

 cotton. The indigo dye of this stuff often fades through 

 washing into a pale " butcher " blue. A favourite material 

 for the bubu is the stout, thick cotton cloth woven in the 

 native looms anywhere in Mandingoland or in the western part 

 of Liberia. This is usually striped dark blue and white. There 

 is a good deal of variation in the cut of this garment and 



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