Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-03-02
Arab Women.

The dress Of III Arab woman of he lower
class is more simple ;hsn elegant; it consists OF
y habava-a kind of linen chenso with wide
sr.vrs-tiel round the waist with y cord, like
the hsb;t OFFS capuchin. In the street ali this is
covered by hnik, winch docs not however,
hide her bare legs adorned with silver or copper
ankl is. shc wears large ell, rings v hlch are
almost hidden under the mass Of hgir twisted
about them, while prousloa uf necklaces,
amulet, coral and glass beads. fall over her
tat oed neck and osom. These things bslong
to The wife personally, being Sc Led upon her 10y
marriag' stipulation in case of -abanoonme nt
or divorce. Thus she puts them an rs often rs
possible, for the display of such fnery Is one of
the few pl ea> ures which she enjoys, SO the most
is made Oft
Sometimes she yes her hands, :nd always
her nails, with the orange Ii: o. hcnma, and Is
fond or the scent called suuaS. thc, like her
Moorish sisters. also attempts t. inp prove uron
| Dature, blackening he lashrs Of hrr .nrge eyes
wits kobcul. The 4, jar worn in Anglers and
olho. large towns WIS uninown before The time
! o. ilmholnet who Introduced it to >erv" his own
personal Jealousy; thus the Histu;ttul dispcsl
lion II one man ha cord mn,d al MUSLIN
women 10 pass through life with kcrchicf over
thu lace. This law Of the Prophet i: one of many
will Ii has contribute t. degrade W ,InuI IN hel
! So, .al POSITION. Whenever lhey-the young, Ut
lcsst-can remove the ja!ousle, which rot only
concaals their ch%rm', but prevents them from
brc thing the air OF heaven freely, they take it
| Oft thus we often meet women unveiled in the
country. when no Arab is near
If they see one approaching tn y Immediately
| r place the veil, but they are not equally par
ticular when they meet Roum, SO that many
opportunities Of seeing their iscrs are offered,
even in the neigh borhoDd Of gicrs and Gran.
| In the kufyle he aGjar Is no! worn for the
| kaby le-wno makes companion OF his wife,
and treats her rs his equal-ls not SO suspicious
rs the Arb. Young Arab and Moorish women,
we may remark, cover their faces bGca: Sc they
are Grdorcd to 10 SO; the Id lind it convenient
policy, for, like charity, it hides may defects.
| Thus OLD women are IN general very strict in
wearing the nd jar themselves, and are rs little
| ndul gc:,: TO young ones who are caught without
| i. Ms the .sluus husband himself; the reason be-
| ing envy in one case and misrus. in the other.
Some oil the sex allow one eye only ~ be seen.
| These, instead Of the usual Aljnr, draw their
drapery-whch covers them from head to loot
over this face, leaving little hole for the soil
! tsry optic to peep through. We have often, in
| our rumbles IN the country about Algiers, met
with women thus untitled up-and still more
II, quentiy in QUITO; the-way places farther Off
who on noticing our apparent speculation on the
! counten.nce which offered only one bla- k eye To
| guide us in our conjectures, suddenly let the
curtain fall, as they lsu >hingly showed us face
| which had no cause To fear being exposed; this
WAS done with merry look which seemed to
say, "Ilow do you like il? does it please you?''
! In the same Wy we have seen girls in the Arab
| quarte- oil Algiers on arriving ut their own
homes, take If the adj.r on the Threshold to II.
low lis single glance. Us they closed the door
or Us. and our curiosity. -"Aigeriu as 1t is By
George GaskeH.