The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-03-12
The Arabian Woman.

The aHthor of algeria As 1t Is"
says: 1.-The dress of an Arab woman
of the lower class is more simple than
elegant it consists of a habaya-a kind
of linen chemise with wide sleeves-tied
round the waist with a cord, like the
habit of a capuchin. In the street all
this is covered by a haik, which does
not, however, hide her bare legs adorne d
with silver or copper anklets. She
wears large earrings, which are almost
hidden under the mass of hair twisted
atout them, while profusion of neck
lsces, amule is, coral, and glass beads
fall over her tatooed neck and bosom.
These things belong to the wife person
ally, being settled on her by marriage
stipulation in the case Of abandonment
or divorce. Thus she puts them on as
often as possible, for the display of
such fipery is one of the few pleasures
she enjoys, SO the most is made of it.
sometimes she dyes her hands, and al
ways her nails, with the orange tint of
henna, and is fond of the scent called
souak. She, like her Moorish sisters,
also attempts to improve upon nature
by blsckeDing the lashes Of her large
eyes with koheul. The adjar worn in
known before the time of Mahomet,
who introduced it to serve his own per-
sonal jealousy thus the distrustful dis
position of one man has condemned all
Muslin women to pass through life
with a kerchief over her face. The law
of the prophet is one Of many which
bas contributed to degrade woman in
her social position. Whenever they
- f1n
.iaIOuSie, which not only cOnceals their
charms, bat prevents them from breath
ing the air Of heaven freely, they take
it off; thus we often meet women I'M
yelled in the county when no Arab is
near. If they see one approaching they
Immediately replace the veil, but they
are not equally particular when they
meet Roumi, so that many opportuni-
ties of seeing their faces are offered,
even in the neighborhOOd Of Algiers
and Oran. In the Ksbylie the adjar is
not worn; for the Kaby le-who makes
a companion of his wife, and treats her
as his equals not so suspicious as
the Arab. Young Arab ard Moorish
women, we may remark, cover the face
because they are ordered to do so; the
old find it convenient policy, for, like
cuhElNy IL HluGS many u6l6CLSs 4nuS
old women are III general very strict in
wearing the aijar themselves, and are
as little iudulgent to young ones who
are caught without it as the jealous
husband himself the reason being envy
in one case and mistrust in the other.
Some of the sex allow only one eye to
be sesn. These, instead Of the usual
adjsr, draw their drapery-whieh covers
from bead to foCt-Over the face, leav-
ing a little hole for the solitary optic to
peep through. We have often IN our
randi. in the country about Algiers
met with wo nen thus mutfied up-and
still more frequent in out Cf-the-way
places further Cff-who, on noticing our
apparent SPIT collation. of the connteDance
winch offered only one black Eye to
gu de us in our cODjectures, suddenly
let the curtain fall as they laugbingly
showed Us a face which had no cause to
fear being expos ed; this was done with
a merry Look which seemed to say,
How do you like it; does it please
you p In the same way we have seen
girls in the Arab quarter of Algiers, on
arriving at their own homes, take off
the adjar on the threshold, to allow us
a single glance, as they close the door
on us, aud on our curiosity"