New-York tribune., 1890-05-20
FOREIGN FASHIONS.
SOME PECULIAR ADORNMENTS.

.xpericnce a certain satisfaction in adoinmg hcr
person in such a to attract the "olii'''N
of men and the envy Of members OF hcf o"" % 80
OF course the means adopted for achieving 'h'S o'
feet vary according to age. climate co"ul''oh o."
country But the aim in view Is the same III c'lN
case and has prevailed since the crca'o" oi t
world II is easy enough for civilized people TO I'M
prove their appearance by the many devices Oh oucr
dress which present inexhau9ub!e hei"' %
II Is far more difficult in the case o d sFe'. many "
the coIored races to whom clothing io almost uil-
known and who regard garments as supern"ous anu
even intolerable in the torrd regions whlch V"eS "
habit Notwithstanding this, even the io"eS' Vi
tribes down to the emotest grade OF the human
ladder have their fashions, their "mashcrs anu 'heT
bellies. H.,
The Inhabitants of the island of FernandoPo' VINO
rcrtanly belong to the lowest class Of negro are III
the habit of confding their children when the H'cr
attain the age of five or six years 70 inc "IV'h-
doctors, who cut long gashcs across the forchcads
and checks of poor little brown faced plckAhhhcS
This nanful operation leaves hvd scars which bear
n striking resemblance to the stripes OF zebra or
10 the chastly marks on the clammy SKIN Oh an Et-t
Indian swamp snake. The FernandoPo natives further
enhance their good looks by wearing strings Oh
chicken bones snail shells and fish scales around their
nccks arms and waists, and by painting their podl's
a lurid red with the juice of shrub which grows
nIentfully I'm the forests. This kind of maquil-
lage7 is performed in the most original manner me
chief of the family lies on board. ana the ladlcS oi
his household proceed TO his entire anatomy WIN
the crimson paste obtained from the jucc OF the
shrub in question. Far from appearing to regard TINS
operation as tedious, his expression While II IS
in process is so full of bcattude that the cnooker is
seized with desire to submit to ii himself Inc
" "chappien at FernandoPo puts the finishing touches
10 his toilette by nesiccntly scattering over his
body when once the red paint is dry a light SPHINX
ling of white mortar. which is manufactured ny
mixing powdered chalk with few spoonfulS OF PAIN
&c
tendon or members of the FcrnandoPoan 400 1t
is hardly necessary to that these coats Of red
paint never removed, but are lald on H"'h u"ic
TO time successive layers proceeding that Is av
thing but conducive 10 our old-world prc!udccS as
to cleanliness: and it ends by forming solid armor
not unlike the shell of a newly cooked lobster
enveoping the coquetsh islander from head to foot
The Duallas" or natives Of the Camerun German
possessions may be numbered along the clcancSt and
dantiest of African savaces. They consume a Grcao
deal of soap neat "moochaS' or sca"fs OF
cotton stuff around the middle. and spend their timo
I'm cleaning and polishing their teeth. This j. done
by means Of short elastic sticks taken from the
bark of a peculiar tree which grows in the swampS.
The teeth are carefully rubbed. and finally polished
with the leaves Of the bOX-tree The "Dualla7 de-
votes hours together to the care OF his teeth. ana
his enjoyment is complete when he can afford 10 have
@ tom tom player strum away on his somewhat
primitive instrument while he performs his
toilette The "Dualla7 women rather pretty
with their shining black faces. straight features and
vavy hair. which they coil very artstically on IN"
tops of their small and shapcly heads They covco
their bosums and arms with delicate tracery OF Sky
blue tattooing and wear white linen scaris striped
with bright coloTs around their lons.
"The Bakongo" tribes who inhabt the cataract
regions Of lower Congo are certainly the drte.t OF
all the negro They paint their bodies bright
violet COLOR and stain their cheeks with zinobar.
and plaster their smoothly shaven heads
with several layers Of tar The sckcnine odor which
emanates from them is impossible to describe. and
FIVE minutes spent in Of their dingy hutS IS
cnOught TO inspire the most courageous traveller With
immediate desire 10 put an end to his days. The
ladies' somewhat simple costume among the "Bakon-
go" consists OF string of brass beads tied around
their waists, from which two triangular bits Of cloth
made of banana fbres depend. Glass beads glitter
their breasts and hang in long chaplets their
backs each string being terminated by small
metal bell, that the female Bakongo announces her
approach much in the manner OF rattlesnake. These
rcpulsive looking natives also wooden
wedges in the lobeS of their cars. and
in the cartilage OF their noses. These wedges ar,
deftIy carved. and iniad with beads their
less beauty of workmanship designate the
social status Of the wcarcr.
In East Africa this fashion of inserting pieces II
wood in the and has risen to a positive art.
The "Wambugu' tribes in the Uzambara Mountains
manage TO insert tubes Of bamboo five TO six inches
part of the This di,cnds the tissues to such
extent that the eaobe hangs down upon the shoulder
like that of elephant.
The "Masai,' ferocious and piratic
East African tribe, not only these
wooden appendaceS. but also hang heavy iron
rings through the upper part Of the ear which
drag the latter downward in very appalling way.
The Nasa' women rather handsome. They
are tau and graceful and have perfect figures, tic
result Of their being trained 10 and balance heavy
loads on their heads Their hair is curly, and thcr
lips are not 50 unpleasantly thick in the Of
most other African races. They ccrtlmly are not
oyerdressed 50 far as clothing goes But Tie elab
crate manner In which they arrange their hair II IN
Itself long and laborious sacrifice to fashion. II Is
not alone civilized beauties who torture themelve, for
latter have. II is true, the monopoly Of cNcmciangy
tight cOrsetS of narrow shoes terrible prison for
which give them the sensation Of being Cuotincd and
OF many other inventions of modern mlllincrs and
Nasal woman suffers from the bras ring, weighing
from fifteen to N twenty fogams which IS con,derGd
IS sodered 50 that she cannot take 1t on and she +,
ornament and her skin to AVOID being cut t.
tie bone thereby. Woman endur, much the
good and worthy cause Of a wclldcvcloped VANITY.
Sim more cruel even. IS the fashion prevailing
among the Baknti7 Of Upper Congo There The
ladies pull out their cyelashcs and eyebrows with
iheir checks and forcheads with ged knives.
The Marundja' and Opoto" tihes have knach
Of srraneing their teeth to suit their somewhat ian
tastical taste and which might arouse some asSnish-
ment TO European ana American dentists. They file
and break all their front teeth into sharp points, 50
that the happy posScssor Of such "dcnturc' in
voluntarily Temiads @ S one Of fnli GoT9 shark ECnso
peculiar sdornmcnt Soon after marriage they begin
10 bore their under lip. and by introducing wooden
plugs gradually expand II 10 five six times it,
natural size. The upper lip is also pierced and a
trils escape each Of them being generally stuck
through with two three little stlawa. willie a brass
ring in the perforated cartilage Of the
These dusly bellies and beans. however. prObrbly
Know best what suits them. and IT certainly seems
putu raj Ia "A % IN 4
tons this kind than - come suddenly upOn thick
lpped fat ncsed, WOOv- headed dressed in the
ntira of a London New Orh ma, her" with q box
Oycrooat. a flower in his buttOnhOlc and faultlcss
pcrcled angle of forty five degrees
his retrcatinc forehead
Nom, 3)uhl,rdtIn;IG