1835.] Georgia, Persia, and Mesopotamia. 619 



dressed up in the Parisian fashion, would be considered pretty 

 brunettes ; their complexions were not so dark as to veil their blushes. 

 They were generally small and well made, and had large dark eyes, 

 the appearauces of which they take great pains to show off to the 

 best advantage. They dye their eye-brows with a collyrium called 

 in the Arabic " khattat." It is reduced to a fine powder. The 

 eye-lids are painted with the " kahel," and the lashes blackened with 

 a reed, which is passed between the eye-lids. The angles of the 

 eye are also tinged and prolonged, which makes it appear much 

 larger. The ancient Egyptian ladies, as well as the modern Persian, 

 are represented as having resorted to the same arts of the toilette. 

 Juvenal admirably satirises the Roman ladies for this coquetry. 



" Ilia supercilium, madida fuligiae tartum, 

 Obliqua producit acu, pingitque treraentes 

 Attolleas oculos." — (Juv. Sat. ii. 1. 93.) 



Another fashion equally essential to Kurdish beauty, requires that 

 the nails of the hands and feet should be stained with henna ; and so 

 very general is this custom, that any woman who should hesitate to 

 conform to it would be considered immodest. The soles of the feet 

 are likewise daubed with the same coloring. The fingers are some- 

 times partially painted ; and to prevent the henna taking every 

 where, the fair artists twist tape round them before they apply it, so 

 that when the operation is completed, their fingers are fancifully 

 marked with orange-colored stripes, which is by no means improving 

 to a fine hand. In fact, the delicate whiteness of the palm, and the 

 rose color of the nail, is utterly effaced by this dye. 



In a large town like Sulimaniah, it is not to be supposed that the 

 women enjoy the same degree of liberty as they do in villages ; indeed, 

 they are often much watched ; and in the marriage contract, it is 

 insisted that the bride shall exhibit those proofs of her innocence, 

 which afterwards she is expected to confirm by her conduct. In 

 fact, a bride would be returned to her parents, should she be unable 

 to produce the testimonials of her virginity. I have certainly seen 

 them very familiarly inclined, but I was told they are not backward 

 in assuming the semblance of enticement, that the incautious stranger 

 may proceed to improper liberties, upon which these artful females 

 accuse the unhappy guest of freedom and insult ; when their male 

 relations seize upon his baggage, and otherwise molest him. 



In their mode of life, the Kurds are habitually abstemious, subsisting 

 on the coarsest rye-bread and manna ; and when meat is introduced 

 at their meals, it has seldom undergone any further culinary prepara- 

 tion than that of boiling in plain water. Some travellers have 



