clarke’s travels. 
160 
preservation. The interesting' costume presented in the dress I 
of the Cyprian ladies ought not to pass without notice. Their 
head apparel was precisely modelled after the kind of calathus 
represented upon the Phoenician idols of the country, and upon 
Egyptian statues. This was worn by women of all ranks, 
from the wives of the consuls to their slaves. Their hair, dy¬ 
ed of a fine brown colour, by means of a plant called henna , 
hung behind, in numerous long straight braids ; and, in some 
ringlets disposed near the face, were fastened blossoms of the 
jasmine, strung together, upon slips from leaves of the palm tree, 
in a very curious and pleasing manner. Next to the Calnmck 
women, the Grecian are, of all others, best versed in cosmetic 
arts. They possess the valuable secret of giving a brown co¬ 
lour to the whitest locks, and also tinge their eye brows with 
the same hue; an art that would be highly prized by the 
hoary courtezans of London arid of Paris. The most splen¬ 
did colours are displayed in their habits; and these are very 
becoming to the girls of the island. The upper robe is al¬ 
ways of scarlet, crimson, or green silk, embroidered with gold. 
Like other Greek women, they wear long scarlet pantaloons, 
fastened round the ankle ; and yellow boots, with slippers of 
the same colour. Around the neck, and from the head, wer£ 
suspended a profusion of gold coins, chains, and other trinkets. 
About their waists they have a large belt or zone, fastened iu 
front by two large and heavy polished brass plates. They, 
endeavour to make the waist appear as long as possible, and 
the legs, consequently, short. Naturally corpulent, they take 
no pains to diminish the size of their bodies by lacing, but seem 
rather vain of their bulk ; exposing their bosoms, at the same 
time, in a manner highly unbecoming. Nothwithstanding the 
extraordinary paiDs they use to disfigure their natural beauty 
by all-Sorts of ill-selected ornaments, the women of Cyprus are 
handsomer than those of any other Grecian island. They 
have a taller and more stately figure ; and the features, par¬ 
ticularly of the women of Nicoda, are regular and dignified, 
exhibiting that elevated cast of countenance so universally ad¬ 
mired in the works of Grecian artists. At present, this kind of 
beauty seems peculiar to the women of Cyprus : the sort of ex¬ 
pression exhibited by one set of features may be traced, with 
different gradations, in them all. Hence were possibly derived 
those celebrated models of female beauty, conspicuous upon 
the statues, vases, medals, and gems of Greece ; models select¬ 
ed from the throng of Cyprian virgins 3 who, as priestesses of 
