268 



B A It B A R Y. 



Barbary. of worsted, fine linen, cotton, and sometimes of silk, 

 ' Y ' in which are frequently stuck a knife or dagger, and 

 one end of which is sewed up to serve as a purse ; a 

 velvet cord, crossing over the right shoulder, and 

 suspending a sabre on the left side ; yellow slippers 

 on their feet, instead of shoes, but no stockings on 

 their legs. This is their usual dress, when in the 

 house, or when employed in any kind of work ; but, 

 when they go abroad, they throw over all, in a care- 

 less but elegant manner, a garment of white cotton, 

 silk, or wool, called a hayk *, five or six yards in 

 length, and about two in breadth, very similar to 

 the Scotch plaid, and supposed to be the same as 

 the pep/us of the ancients. Instead of this, and fre- 

 quently above it, they use occasionally a blue cloak 

 with a hood, called a burnose, made of woollen cloth, 

 and of a very close texture, so as to resist the rain. 

 The Moors wear their beards long, but have their 

 heads shaved, except a single lock in the middle. 

 The more wealthy have plain gold rings upon their 

 fingers; and frequently carry a rosary in their hands, 

 more by way of ornament, than for any religious 

 purpose. The Arabs wear no linen, and, except in 

 paying visits, (when they always put on drawers), 

 have seldom any other garment, than the hayk, 

 which serves them at once as a covering through the 

 day, and a bed during night. They fasten the two 

 upper corners before the breast, and over one of the 

 shoulders, with a wooden bodkin ; and then wrap 

 the rest -of the robe about their bodies, while the 

 outer fold is generally employed to hold such articles 

 as they may have occasion to carry. Their heads 

 are almost always without any covering, except a 

 narrow fillet around the temples to bind up their 

 hair, or the hood of the burnose drawn up during a 

 shower. On the confines of Sahara, they are often 

 completely naked, or, at most, have only a pair of 

 thin drawers. The Berebbers wear the drawers and 

 the burnose. The dress of the Jews differs very lit- 

 tle from that of the Moors, except that their cap, 

 clippers, and outer garments, must always be of a 

 black colour. Lepers are obliged to distinguish 

 themselves, by wearing a straw hat, with a very 

 broad brim, tied on in a peculiar manner. The na- 

 tives of Barbary are scrupulously cleanly with re- 

 gard to the insides of their houses ; and cannot en- 

 dure the slightest contamination to remain near the 

 place where they sit. The frequent ablutions, also, 

 imposed by their religion, (though often performed 

 in a very slovenly manner,) tend to give them a great 

 appearance of personal cleanliness ; but their gar- 

 ments are very seldom washed, and are generally in 

 a very disgusting state of filth. 

 Women. The condition of the women in Barbary is the 



same as in other Mahcmmedan countries. Reared 

 in ignorance, and imprisoned in their apartments, 

 they are rather the slaves than the companions of 

 their husbands. Those, who reside in towns, sel- 

 dom leave their house;, except for the purpose of 

 visiting one another ; and, when they do go abroad, 

 they are so completely veiled, that they cannot be 

 distinguished by their nearest relations. On these 

 occasions, women of rank always ride on mules, or 



in litters, attended by a slave ; and it is only the ser- Barbary. 

 vants, the aged, ana the very lowest of the people, ' v~-~ 

 who are seen walking in the streets. Among the 

 Arabs, and the inhabitants of the villages, the wo- 

 men have more liberty ; but they have also more la- 

 bour. They are continually occupied in weaving at 

 the loom, grinding com with the hand-mill, cook- 

 ing the provisions, attending the cattle, and after a 

 day of fatigue, have to trudge, often two or three 

 miles, perhaps, with their infants on their backs, to 

 bring water. They are generally required also to 

 equip the horses, to take down and pack up the 

 tents, and sometimes to carry heavy burdens on foot, 

 while the lazy Arab is riding at his ease. They are 

 subjected in short to every species of drudgery ; and 

 it is even affirmed, that, in some parts of the coun- 

 try, they are occasionally yoked with the cattle in 

 the labours of the field. The women of this coun- 

 try are generally handsome ; and have a great de- 

 gree of rustic simplicity in their manners. Their 

 persons are rather below the middle stature, remark- 

 ably fat and square, with large hands and feet. 

 Their faces are round ; their nose and mouth small ; 

 and their countenances, though beautiful, very defi- 

 cient in expression. They have, however, a very 

 noble gait, a complexion as fair as the females of 

 Europe, and, except when descended from renega- 

 does, their eyes and hair are universally black. In 

 the inland districts, especially towards the south- 

 west, and in some particular cities, such as Rabal and 

 Mequinez, they are said to be exquisitely beautiful. 

 The lower classes, indeed, and especially the Arab wo- 

 men, who are seldom veiled, have a very swarthy com- 

 plexion, and are rarely well-favoured. Those who 

 are generally seen in the streets, are round shapeless 

 bundles, resembling bales of .cloth in motion. Co- 

 vered to the mouth with woollen, and staring through 

 a dirty rag hanging over their face, they have alto- 

 gether a very hideous and disgusting appearance. 

 Corpulency is considered as their principal charm ; 

 and the fattening of young women thus becomes a 

 very important object of domestic attention. In or- 

 der to promote this growth of beauty, they use in 

 their food a powder called elkouba ; and swallow 

 great quantities of paste heated in the steam of boiling 

 water. But their sedentary manner of life, contri- 

 butes perhaps more effectually, than all other means, 

 to produce that plump habit of body, for which they 

 are distinguished. Their dress consists of drawers, 

 shirt, and tunic, nearly resembling those of the men; 

 except that the neck of the two latter is left open, 

 and the edges generally ornamented with embroidery. 

 To their girdles of silk, or crimson velvet, are at- 

 tached two broad straps, which pass under each arm 

 ovtr the shoulders, forming a cross upon the breast, 

 and suspending a gold chain in the front. The hair, 

 which it is their great pride to have very long, is 

 plaited backwards from the forehead, in a variety of 

 folds, hanging loose behind, but fastened together 

 at the bottom by a little twisted silk. A long nar- 

 row stripe of gauze or silk is then wrapped round 

 the hair in such a manner, that the ends intermingle 

 with the tresses, and hang down behind almost to 



* ffl/ke, according to Shaw ; hoick, according to Lempriere ; haiyut, according to Chenicr; hayk, according to Jscksos, 



*. 



