OSSETE COSTUMES. 



227 



There seems to be no poor class among them ; all the men 

 we saw were well and even handsomely dressed. The tall 

 sheepskin hat is universal, and great attention is bestowed 

 on the numerous ornamental details of their costume. 

 The cartridge-boxes on the breast are often inlaid with 

 silver, and when they go abroad they invariably wear a belt 

 (generally silver), to which is attached a double-edged 



dagger like the Eoman short-sword, enclosed in an orna- 

 mental sheath ; on the other side hangs a heavy flint and 

 steel pistol, in addition to a variety of smaller necessaries, 

 such as a leather case for tinder and flints, a knife, and a 

 little box of oxidised silver prettily worked, in which they 

 keep the grease to anoint their bullets. . Their dresses are 



Q 2 



