The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-08-07
The Fashions in Africa.

8 The FaSni0nS IN Africa
~ ,5E1s4sT2 i ~ slfH{-Ia
% Concerning Che dress Of the inhab.
tants Of Kordofan, Major Prout fur
aisAes us with much Interesting in
The better class Of the
men in town, and occasionally a
sheik or .faki in the villages, have
adopted the costume Of people of a
similar class in Lower Egypt, modi-
fed somewhat; that is, silk and
wooden stuffs' are mostly replaced by
white cotton, and the turbaus by
white skull-caps. The great mass Of
the men wear only q ayolumnious
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 a
large portion Of the men Of the vii
lagos let their hair grow long and
plait it in thick bra'ds, running back
from the brow over the crown to the
nape Of the neck. Naturally, more
variety is seen in the dress Of the
women. Children Of both sexes go
naked up to perhaps ten years of
age, or are clothed only in string
of beads or cowry shells around che
loius, anklets and bracelets Of the
same, and a leather talismap tied
around one arm. II the little girls
wear more Than this it is the rahdt,
a girdle tied around the loins, from
which hang q multitude Of thin
leather thongs descending to cover
the upper third Of the thigh. The
rahat seems to be determination Of
all female dress in the Soudan. 1t
is the essential first element, and
more or less decorated with rcowry
shells, Is often the only garment Of
girls till, they marry. AS the girl
advances to maturity she assumes
the one other garment worn by fe.
male slaves, village women, and thu
middlelclaes of,the townl2that is, :
piece vofscotton, .iblue oriIsabella col
or, one end Of; which is wrapped
. closely'around the lower part Of TIL
person, descending below the knees
the other end being wrapped arount
! the body, and finally thrown owe
the left shoulder, orats times owe
the head. The RICH t, shoulder
breast and arm are left exposed
How the garment was kept lin it
Eplace was mystery which the Ma
1 jori was unable to solve.-i Exchange
| AN ANT1DoTE FOR. FLlEs.-A fe,
| years ago Philadelphia clergyma'
discovered an, antidote, for flies, o
at lea.t he said he did, He had &C
caslon to, change his abode. We. d
not know Just what the occasion was
Probably, he could not pay the rem
Or perhaps, bis relatives, out West
who were coming TO see the ,Centeu
nniiidl,. found out bis old address, a, az
wrote to1,him that they: could not en-
dure life any longer without seem
him, and would visit him all summe,
at any rate he moved He, had j
his house number of house plant
and sent them to the new house til
day before he moved. : Immediatel
he was 7beset- with swarms OF file
4 although he had previously en,oye
perfect immunity from these pest
And when he got moved, and settle
down among b lis window plan,
again, the flies ceased to trouble hio
1t is a simple and very pleasant e,
psiiment. If it fails TO drive ava
the fIies, you will atleast succeed
filling. yo{r house with plants, whit
> is apleaSant thing TO do; as ii vi
II keep you employed all the time
: caring for them, and sou will ha,
plenty Of time for vain regrets, WHIT
the plants all freeze along abo
Christmas, But there may be som
thing in it,. We have the word Of
clergyman for it, and we do not s.
t why even clergyman should tell
t lib about such little thing asa f
EI-IExchange. g