CnAF. LXXVI. KHOZE'mATEN. 
183 
Besides several respectable men of this tribe, I re- 
ceived a visit also from Nassaru, a daughter of one of 
their chiefs named Khozematen. She was one of the 
finest women that I saw in this country. Her decent 
apparel contributed not a little to increase her beauty, 
for over her under-gown she wore an upper-garment 
of red and black silk, in alternate stripes, which she 
occasionally drew over her head. Her features were 
remarkable for their soft expression and regularity, 
but her person rather inclined to corpulency, which 
is highly esteemed by the Tawarek. Seeing that I 
took an interest in her, she, half-jokingly, proposed 
that 1 should marry her ; and I declared myself 
ready to take her with me if one of my rather weak 
camels should be found able to support her weight. 
As a mark of distinction I presented her with a 
looking-glass, which I was always accustomed to give 
to the most handsome woman in an encampment, 
the rest receiving nothing but needles. She re- 
turned the next day with some of her relations, 
who were equally distinguished by their comeliness, 
and who were anxious to obtain a glimpse of me, not 
less than of the Sheikh El Bakay. These noble 
Tawarek ladies furnished a remarkable example of 
the extreme liberty which the females belonging to 
this tribe enjoy; and I was greatly astonished to see 
the pipe pass continually from their mouths to those 
of the men, and from the latter back again into 
the mouths of the women. In other respects, I 
can only hope that they surpass the female portion 
N 4 
