226 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. cirAi'. v. 
of blue, or blue and white cotton, of which they liave a variety of 
patterns, fastened over the shoulders and across the bosom, and 
hanging in graceful folds, so as to show the back, right breast, and 
right arm bare. These dresses are very short, and exhibit the leg 
to the calf ; but with all this display, their general appearance 
offered nothing offensive or immodest. 
They tripped about all the evening to exliibit their finery, and 
were proudly pointed out by their mothers, who were visiting in 
our neighbourhood. As our hostess had a very pretty daughter, all 
the young people came to call on her, which afforded them a pre- 
sence for looking at the two new JMamlukes, who had just arrived. 
I sat on the sand, at the door, and was much gazed at, not in 
the Arab way, but by stealth, from behind their httle shawls, and 
peeping through the palm bushes. 
As it was the custom on this night, for the girls to dance through 
the town, in every direction, I heard drums, bagpipes, and the usual 
accompaniment of tin-pots. At midnight I was called up to see 
them perform at our door. They were directed by an old woman, 
with a torch in one hand and a long palm branch in the other, and 
sung, in chorus, verses which she recited to them. Three men sung 
and played on drums with their hands ; and by their motions regu- 
lated the dancers, who were to advance, or to retreat accordingly. 
The tallest girls were placed in the centre, while the younger ones 
formed the wings, and they then danced in a circle, round their 
governess. The lookers-on had torches of palm leaves, and sung 
occasionally, in chorus. 
The chief object in the dance seemed to be the waving, grace- 
fully, from right to left, and in time with the music, a light shawl, 
which was passed over the shoulders, the ends being in the hands. 
They employed their feet, only to advance or retreat occasionally ; 
