Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1878-06-26

AERI0AN FASHIONS.
How the Inhabitants Of Kordofan Dress
Personal ornamentation. Il
In his report of the observations of
the expedition of reconnaissance sent
into Africa by the Egyptian authorities,
Major Pr0ut furnishes much informa-
ton concerning the dress of the inhab-
itants of Kordofan. The better class of
the men in town, and occasionally q
sheik or faki in the villages, have adopted
the costume of people Of a similar class
in Lower Egypt, modified somewhat;
that is, silk and wooden stuffs are mostly
replaced by white cotton, and the tur-
bans by white skull-caps. The great
mass of the men wear only a voluminous
piece of white cotton, coarse and dirty,
wound around the body and over the
shoulders. They often wear sandals, but
rarely cover their heads. Most of the
Bedouins and q large proportion of the
men of the villages let the hair grow
long and plat it in thick braids running
back from the brow over the crown to
the nape of the neck. Naturally, more
variety is seer in the dress of the women.
Children of both sexes 60 naked up to
perhaps 10 years of age, or are clothed
only in q string of beads or cowry shells
around the loins, anklets and bracelets
Of the same, and a leather talisman tied
around one arm. If the little girls
wear more than this it is the
rahat, a girdle tied around the loins,
from which hang a multitude of thin
leather thongs descending to cover the
upper third of the thigh. The rahat
seems to be the foundation Of all female
dress in the Soudan. 1t is the essential
first element, and, more or less decorated
with cowry shells, is often the only gar
ment of girls till they marry. As the
girl advances to maturity she assumes
the one other garment worn by female
slaves, village women, and the middle
class of the town-that is, a piece of
cotton, blue or Isabella color, one end of
which is wrapped lightly around the
lower part of the person, descending be-
low the knees, the other end being wrap
ped around the body, andfnally thrown
over the left shoulder, OF at times over
the head. The right shoulder, breast,
and arm are left exposed. How the gar
ment was kept in its place was a mystery
which the major was unable to solve.
"ln order of time, decoration precedes
Dress" and 50 the little naked girls, the
budding young women in rahats, the
peasant women, the bourgeoise of Ell
Obeivad, and the vestals and matrons OF
high rank, all unite in scrupulously OBJ.
serving and perpetuating the mode OF
arranging the hair. In Kordofan, as in
some of the more civilized parts of the
world, the demi-monde have much to dc
with setting the fashions, therefore a
description of the dress of one of these
will give an idea of the style in vogue
among the ~fashionables of the country.
To begin with the hair: This is worn
quite long, and is plated in tight little
braids which hang perpendicularly
around the band and descend to the
shoulders. These braids are usually cut
of different lengths, thus giving the head
the appearance of having been matched
in successive layers. The whole mass il
saturated with grease, and, in the case OF
those who can afford it, powdered arc.
matte bark is freely sprinkled ' the
whole; the resultant odor must be any.
thing but agreeable. Bits of colored
cloth, cowry shells, colored beads
and gilt ornaments are arranged
among the braids. The dress il
most remarkable. One ample piece OF
semi-transparent white muslin, striped
with red, is wound with many fold,
around the body, half-hiding and half
revealing the legs, body, and left arm
and shoulder and breast are uncovered
On the feet are worn sandals, often three
centimetres (about one inch) thick
The ankles and wrists are decorated
with ornaments of ivory, rbinoceros
horn, or colored beads; colored bead,
and other suc-suc are also entwined in
the acknowledgement, braided and pow
dered hair. Across the brow is a core
net of circular gilt ornaments, and sill
yer ornaments hang from the ears ant
nostrils. 1t is not uncommon to see on,
of these women with a huge gilt ring il
one nostril, and from this ring a gilt
chain passing back and attached to tn,
head-dress. This is considered "swell'
of the most pronounced pattern. Will
the most respectable women of Ell Obei
, yad the white cotton garment is gen
orally opaque and voluminous, and con
ceals effectually not only the who'll
person but the head and face as well
The dress of the nomads and the noun
tain tribes is far more primitive thai
that Just described"
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