PERFUMES AND JEWELS. 253 



ladies are partial too to the odoriferous gums 

 which are ofccasionally burnt in their dwellings. 

 Amongst their toilet requisites is a sweet-smell- 

 ing wash for the hands, called otvpteneh^ ex- 

 tracted from lemon blossoms, lemon peel, sandal 

 wood, civet, and frankincense, prepared in rose 

 water, but this is rarely used. Large quantities 

 of conserve of roses are prepared in every family, 

 and the ladies consider it a sovereign remedy 

 for all triflino; ills. The Meer's wives are said 

 to possess fine jewels, and are very fond of 

 wearing them when visiting, or receiving their 

 female relations. The ear-rings, nose-rings, 

 and neck-ornaments are j)i*ecisely similar to 

 those worn by Egyptian ladies, as I ascer- 

 tained by comparing them with the engravings 

 in Lane's Egypt. The Nhiit, or nose-rings, are 

 often of great size, and so ponderous as to require 

 support, for which purpose a lock of hair from the 

 forehead is brought down and passed through tlie 

 ring, to relieve the nasal cartilage of the weight. 

 The noses of the princesses were, says my in- 

 formant, only bored at the side, and not in the 

 centre, as with women of inferior rank ; some of 

 the nose-rings are very handsome ornaments, 

 richly set with precious stones, but they nmst be 



