354 



THE < RED BAZAR: 



ignores the extent of his means. Here is the 

 Lai Bazar, the very centre of prostitution, an 

 Agapemone of some twenty Cyprians : all are 

 Wasawahili — the Indian women, who appear 

 almost European in complexion and features, 

 having now left. Their faces like skinned apes, 

 and lean legs encased in red silk tights, make 

 their appearance revolting as their society is dan- 

 gerous. Some of them cool the orbits of the 

 eyes by a kind of loup of perfumed turmeric, 

 whose golden tint causes the outer darkness to 

 gloom extra sooty ; others apply curry-coloured 

 dabs to the woolly hair. Sundry of these patches 

 are frontlets or medicines applied to the temples. 

 In former days we used, for instance, c rose- 

 water and vinegar, with a little woman's milk, 

 and nutmegs grated upon a rose cake,' and the 

 Jews are said to have smeared themselves with 

 Christian blood. 



The Malagash Quarter is at the far east of 

 the city, leading to two tumble-down bridges 

 which span a lagoon more deadly than that of 

 British Accra. These ruins might easily be con- 

 verted into dykes, and in process of time the 

 mouth would be sanded or silted up ; they are 

 however, fated to make way for iron improve- 

 ments. In my day the lagoon was connected by 



