The Republican journal., 1901-08-15

gether in forlorn hope, called Imesse-
belem, who expected to die for the gen.
eral good. Prayers for the dead wefe
said over them before going into battle,
from which they must never return if
not victorious. If killed, their bodies
were buried in cemetery apart, which
was forever afterwards place of pray
er and peculiar veneration. Should one
of them escape with neither victory nor
death, he and all his kindred were hope
less outcasts from that disgraceful day.
The Kabyle dress is nearly white, some
times striped black and white and con-
sists of the all-pervading haik, worn
over wooden skirt which extends be-
low the knee; the feet covered with a
complicated mass of rags, tied on with
cords A small skullcap is set rakishly
upon the head; and over all, when afeld,
is thrown the white or grey burnouse
Kabyle girls have strange fashion of
tattooing crosses upon their arms and
faces-which some authorities construe
into proof that their remote ances-
tors were Christians. Whatever may
have been the origin of Kabylia proper,
country preserved its independence for
centuries, and the fair complexion, blue
eyes and red hair so frequently found
among its people, certainly did not come
from African or Asiatic races.
Next in numbers come the Moors-a
name used by the French to include all
persons of Arabic origin who live in
towns and houses, in contradiction to
the nomads who dwell in tents. They
are a handsome race, with pale, oval
faces, aquiline noses and large, dark
eyes, To strangers they are extremely
courteous, but seldom to be depended
upon. Their aversion to work is, if
possible, more pronounced than that of
,, the Arabs, and if employed at all it is
at the lightest of weaving and most
fanciful embroidery attending bazaars
and distilling perfumes. The Moorish
dress is conspicuous for bright colors.
1t consists of silk jacket and waist t.
coat, covered with braid, over which is
usually worn the bernouse. Young
men wear only the fez on the head, but
their elders supplement it with the tur-
ban. All wear voluminous trousers,
not divided, of some soft, wooden ma
terial, extending below the knee, the
stockingless feet encased in slippers.
Moorish women, when seen out of
doors, are always attired in a creamy
white haik, reaching below the knee,
full trousers of white linen fastened at
the ankle, and red slippers embroidered
with gold or silver. OF course their
heads and faces are covered, only their
eyes being visible. When a Moorish
baby is born, it's hair-Whatever may
be the natural color-is invariably dyed
red; but when maiden is about to be
married, this color must give place to
| jet-black. The dressing of the brides
| hair is work of time and strength, in
which all her female relatives and
| friends take part. The raven locks are
! braided in countless strands all around
her head and face, each tiny plat ter
minated with pendant jewel. Next
her face must be enameled to look eX-
actly like China doll. Then her eye
brows are pencilled, and not content
with arching them, the dresserS bring
the inky curves half way down their
victims nose. Then the climax of
beauty is attained with patches of
scarlet paint; and last of all the eye
lashes are securely gummed down, SO
that she may not Inadvertently be guilty
of the gross immodesty of beholding in
public the man whose fractional help
mate she is soon to be.
Fully one-ifth of the population of
! Tuninia are Jews; and like their race in
all parts of the world, they are by no
means to be ignored. They show the
same genius for money-getting as in
New York, or wherever found-the
same prominent noses, inclined to hook,
and small eyes set too near together.
| The women are remarkable for beauty
while young, but grow stout, greasy
and bewrinkled long before middle age
The elder members of the Jewish COM
munity in Tunis still retain the native
dress; but the rising generation has
adopted European customs, since the
government decree of 1871 declared
them citizens.
FANNIE B. WARD.