Chap. XXX. BO'flNU WOMEN.— PROMENADE. 317 
are much more ugly, with square short figures, large 
heads, and broad noses with immense nostrils, dis- 
figured still more by the enormity of a red bead or 
coral worn in the nostril. Nevertheless, they are 
certainly quite as coquettish, and, as far as I had 
occasion to observe, at least as wanton also, as the 
more cheerful and sprightly Hausa women. I have 
never seen a Hausa woman strolling about the streets 
with her gown trailing after her on the ground, 
the fashion of the women of Kukawa, and wear- 
ing on her shoulders some Manchester print of a 
showy pattern, keeping the ends of it in her hands, 
while she throws her arms about in a coquettish 
manner. In a word, their dress, as well as their 
demeanour, is far more decent and agreeable. 
The best part in the dress or ornaments of the 
Bornu women is the silver ornament (the " falla- 
falle kelabe") which they wear on the back of the 
head, and which in taller figures, when the hair is 
plaited in the form of a helmet, is very becoming ; 
but it is not every woman who can afford such an 
ornament, and many a one sacrifices her better in- 
terests for this decoration. 
The most animated quarter of the two towns is the 
great thoroughfare, which, proceeding by the south- 
ern side of the palace in the western town, traverses it 
from west to east, and leads straight to the sheikh's 
residence in the eastern town. This is the " dendal" 
or promenade, a locality which has its imitation, on 
a less or greater scale, in every town of the coun- 
