388 



ARAB WOMEN. 



and heady perfumes of musk, ambergris, ottar of 

 roses, and the large Indian jasmine ; their cos- 

 metics are oil, henna, Kohl, or Collyrium (Wanja), 

 and saffron applied to the head and eyebrows; 

 and they are cunning in the matter of fumigation, 

 which might with benefit be introduced into 

 Europe. 



The Zanzibar Arab's day is regular, varied only 

 by a journey, a family festival, a debauch, or the 

 yearly Ramazan fast. He rises at dawn for 

 ablution and prayer, eats 6 Suwayk,' a kind of 

 vermicelli, wheaten bread, or even a little meat, 

 drinks a cup of coffee, and chewing betel, repairs 

 to the bazar for business or calls upon his friends. 

 Men shake hands when meeting, wish good-morn- 

 ing, and ask, ' How is thy state ? ' to which the 

 reply is, 6 And how art thou ? ' They then sit 

 down and renew queries, interspersed with many 

 Marimbas, Sana-B'anas and Na shikamaus, 'Allah 

 preserve thee ! ' and ' Thanks be to Allah, we are 

 well ! ' If one sneeze, the others exclaim, ' May 

 Allah have mercy upon thee ! ' which he acknow- 

 ledges, with 6 Allah guide you ! ' — this is an old Arab 

 superstition. Sneezing being an omen of impend- 

 ing evil to the patient, an ejaculation was made 

 to the gods : ' Homer mentions the custom ; 

 Aristotle fruitlessly attempts to explain its exist- 



