B A R B A R Y. 



269 



; the ground. A handkerchief of linen, crape, or 

 S ~Y~ ' common silk, surrounding the head like a close cap, 

 and collected ii. 3 bow behind, covers and completes 

 the head dress. At the upper part of the ears, they 

 have a small gold ring with a cluster of precious 

 stones ; and at the lower part, another ring and clus- 

 ter of a larger size. They wear also rings on their 

 fingers, bracelets on their wrists, rims of gold or sil- 

 ver on their ankles, and a variety of necklaces com- 

 posed of beads, pearls, or gold chains. They some- 

 times use a kind of loose stocking to give the leg a 

 thicker appearance ; and wear slippers, always of a 

 red colour, and generally embroidered with gold, 

 which they take off, when they enter their apart- 

 ments. Besides the veil and hayk, with which they 

 cover their heads, when they walk out, they some- 

 times wear also straw hats, with a view to keep off 

 the rays of the sun. The dress of the lower classes 

 consists chiefly of drawers, and a coarse woollen tunic 

 tied round the waist by a band, with a common handker- 

 chief upon their heads ; but frequently in the house, 

 and especially in the tents, they have no other cover- 

 ing than a towel round their loins. At all times, 

 however, and in the midst of all their drudgery, the 

 lowest and most wretched among them are loaded 

 with all the trinkets which they possess, such as ear- 

 rings, bracelets, necklaces, and even small looking- 

 glasses hanging on their breasts : This may be part- 

 ly owing, indeed, to their having no proper place in 

 which to deposit them. The women of the Jews 

 are the most handsome, and the most inclined to in- 

 trigue. Those of them who are married, are not re- 

 quired to wear veils ; and are permitted to walk 

 about, without much restraint Their dress is simi- 

 lar to that of the other Barbary females, except, 

 that instead of drawers, they generally wear petticoats 

 of green woollen cloth, with embroidered borders. 

 All classes of women in Barbary are addicted to the 

 use of various paints or cosmetics, to which may, in a 

 great measure, be ascribed that shrivelled and aged 

 appearance which their faces acquire at a very early 

 period of life. They stain the corners of their eyes, 

 their eye-lids, and eye-brows, with a black pigment, 

 a preparation of lead ore ; and it is accounted a great 

 addition to their charms to have a long black stripe 

 across the forehead, along the ridge of the nose, on 

 the cheeks, and from the chin down to the throat. 

 They paint their cheeks and chin, the nails of their 

 fingers and toes, and the inside of their hands and 

 feet, with a deep red. They frequently also tinge 

 the whole of their hair, hands, and feet, with a herb 

 called henna, which produces a deep saffron, or 

 bright orange colour ; and which imparts a pleasing 

 softness and coolness to the skin. Most of the wo- 

 men among the Arabs and Berebbers imprint, with 

 needles and gun-powder, the forms of flowers and 

 other objects, on their face, neck, and otlwr parts 

 of their bodies. The women of this country very 

 soon attain the state of puberty ; are frequently mo- 

 thers at eleven or twelve years of age, and grand- 

 mothers at twenty-two or twenty-three ; and, as they 

 live as long as Europeans, they generally witness 

 several generations of their posterity. They lose 

 their bloom, however, and cease from child-bearing 

 -bout the age of thirty. They suffer very little in - 



convenience at the birth of their children ; and are Barbary. 

 frequently on foot the next day, going through the v ' 



duties of the house, with the new-born infant on 

 their back. 



The natives of Barbary marry at a very early age ; Marriage*, 

 and generally without having had much opportunity to 

 establish an attachment of affection. In forming matri- 

 monial connections, the parents of the parties may be 

 said to be the only agents ; and it frequently happens, 

 that the bride and bridegroom do not see each other 

 till the ceremony be performed : It is from their 

 mothers or confidential servants that they learn the 

 personal accomplishments and character of their in- 

 tended helpmates. In most cases, however, the 

 young man procures some opportunity of seeing his 

 mistress at a window, or in sone such distant manner ; 

 and should the interview prove mutually agreeable, he 

 then proposes his wishes to the father. Should his 

 offer be admitted, he sends presents to the lady, ac- 

 cording to his circumstances ; and if these be accept- 

 ed, the parties are considered as betrothed. It is 

 not expected that the bride should bring a portion 

 along with her ; but, on the contrary, the husband 

 often pays to her parents a species of purchase- 

 money : He specifies, at least, a certain sum to be 

 given to her, should she happen to survive him, or 

 to be divorced. If the father, however, possess 

 much wealth, he generally presents his daughter 

 with a supply of ornaments, and also allots her a 

 suitable dowry ; but all this is considered as her own 

 property, and must be faithfully restored in the event 

 of a separation. These arrangements are all made in 

 the presence of the cadi by the friends of the parties ; 

 and this public transaction constitutes the marriage- 

 contract. During several days before marriage, the 

 bride remains at home to receive the congratulations 

 of her friends, to be l^tructed by the talb, or priest, 

 in the duties of the married state, and to undergo 

 the process of a fresh painting. During this period, 

 the bridegroom receives the visits of his friends in the 

 mornings ; and in the evenings is paraded through 

 the streets on horseback, attended by a musical band 

 of hautboys, drums, triangles, &c ; and surrounded 

 by his male relations and acquaintances, who testify 

 their joy, on these occasions, by dancing and jump- 

 ing, and twirling their muskets in the air, by exhi- 

 biting their horsemanship, and by firing in the face 

 and at the feet of the bridegroom. On the day of the 

 marriage, the bride is placed in a square vehicle, about 

 twelve feet in circumference, covered with white li- 

 nen, or variegated silk, and fixed on the back of a 

 mule. In this litter, she is carried through the town 

 in the midst of her relatives and companions, accom- 

 panied with the light of torches, the sound of musi- 

 cal instruments, and frequent vollies- of musketry. 

 In this manner she is conducted to the house of her 

 intended husband, who returns, about the same time, 

 from a similar exhibition ; and great care is taken, 

 that she do not touch the threshold of the door, as 

 she enters. She then sits down, with her hands over 

 her eyes, and the company retires ; the bridegroom is 

 introduced to her alone, perhaps for the first time ; 

 takes off her veil, and receives her as his wife, 

 without any farther ceremony : Sometimes, indeed,, 

 especially among the Algerines, it is customary for 



