THE PEOPLES OF ALGERIA AND MOROCCO 405 



"Uled-Xai'l,'' Arabised Berbers living to the west of Biskra. Some Berber clans have, however, 

 also adopted the term, so that it is not altogether distinctive of the Arabs. 



The Arabs of Northern Africa retain the physical appearance, customs, and mode of life 

 of their ancestors, and do not call for special remark, except to notice the points of contrast 

 between them and the Moors and Berbers. Thus the women differ from the Berbers by their 

 use of the adjar, or veil. The lower-class women wear a loose wide-sleeved linen mantle, tied 

 round the waist by a cord like that of a monk. Out of doors they wear a long robe coming 

 from the head to the feet; the face is then hidden either by a fold of this garment or a 

 special veil, and usually only one eye is 

 left exposed. They wear a profusion of 

 ornaments, large earrings, bead and coral 

 necklaces, and metal anklets. They 

 dye their hands and nails yellow with 

 henna, and blacken the eyebrows with 

 powdered antimony. 



THE MOORS. 



Allied to the Arabs are the Moors, 

 or town -dwell ing Arabs. They are 

 fairer in complexion than the country 

 Arabs, which may be partly explained 

 by the fact that many are descendants 

 of the Moriscos expelled from Spain, 

 who had absorbed Spanish blood. 



The Moors are a cultured and 

 intellectual race, with far less reserve 

 than is affected by the Arabs. Leared 

 describes the lower-class Moors as 

 people of extraordinary vivacity and of 

 inexhaustible spirits, with a keen sense 

 of humour and inimitable powers of 

 mimicry. 



The national dress is white. Men 

 wear an embroidered shirt fastened down 

 the breast by many buttons and loops, 

 a pair of loose drawers, and a large- 

 sleeved coat. Out of doors a red fez 

 on the head, a pair of yellow slippers, 

 and a long wrap of cotton or silk in 

 warm weather and a thick woollen 

 cloak in winter are also worn. The 

 costume of the women is often elabo- 

 rate, and is described by Gaskel as 

 follows: "A coloured jacket, embroi- 

 dered with gold or silver, is worn over 

 a white muslin chemisette. A pair of 

 wide cashmere trousers, of blue, yellow, 

 or green colour, beautifully worked, 

 meet the vest at the waist, where a 



handsome silken sash or girdle is folded Pholo by Leroux] [Algiers. 



round them. Sometimes a scarf or AN ALGERIAN MOORISH GIRL. 



