394 
NATIVE DRESSES. 
the others, however, of this part of Africa, it is very 
poor. For instance, the word “ dushi” signifies a 
mountain, a rock, stone, gun-flint, bead, &c. On the 
other hand, we may say that there is no want of volu- 
bility, and, on some occasions, there appeared to bo great 
powers of oratory displayed. Our acquaintance with 
this language was too limited to enable us to detect 
inflexions, cases, genders, &c., and the only instance of 
grammatical construction that we can speak positively 
to, is the use of the particle ’n to show the possessive 
case, or the relation of one thing to another, as 
“Saliki-’n bekki-’n ruah.” The king of the dark 
water. 
The original dress on the coast was simply a “ grass 
cloth,” worn like a kilt. This has given place to cotton 
or silk pocket handkerchiefs, for the same purpose; 
while those who can afford it, indulge in the splendour 
of a striped cotton shirt and worsted cap. 
Beyond the Delta, the people are better clothed in 
the native costume ; European articles of dress being 
rare. Though the very poor have merely a small 
piece of cotton cloth round the waist, or even skins, 
especially on the borders of the Chadda, those in 
better circumstances, add a piece of cotton, called in 
Haussa “ Zani,” nearly three yards long and a yard and 
a half wide, of native manufacture, either blue, white, 
or striped, with sometimes a little red, or chequered. It 
is worn in a great variety of ways, but is always 
graceful. We saw many men who had draped them- 
