Year: 1871

A writer in the CoruhM M1guEine de.
scribcs visit which he once made, with
DIR, Livingstone, to the harem of a
Prince of one Of the ComOro Islands.
He says:


After inviting us TO be seated, the
Prince left us, in order to apprise his
wives Of our arrival. He went out by n
doorway covered by damask hanging,
which, We presume, led to the ladies'
departments, He returned in a few
minutes, and with him came, not q wife,
but n little Malay woman, old and
shriyeled, but full of viyacity. Her
sharp, shrill voice rang though the room
when she announced that the Indies
would soon appear, She was evidently
the janitress of the harem, and the
Prince seemed to be much in awe of her
She WIS born Mt Cape Town, but had
many years ago married Johanna man.
She spoke English very imperfectly, hut
Dutch like Dutchlander and when
she found that DIR. Livingstone could
speak that language, her pleasure was so
demonstrative thought she would have
embraced him.


A curtain was withdrawn, and, stand
ing in row on either side OF the passage
we saw number OF little slave girls,
some of whom were very gaily dressed.
Then there came from room at the end
Of passage stout lady about twenty
five years of age, whose face only saved
from being commonplace by her large
and really beautiful eyes. Her appear.
ance as she entered the room was daz-
zling. The bodice of her dress was of
cloth of gold the short skirt was of In
dian muslin, elabontely worked with
gold and silver thread; her DRIVERS
were of the same material and'similarly
ornamented. Her naked feet were slip
ped into richly-adorned sandals, and on
her hair she wore purple velvet fez +.
shaped cap that was rcfulgent with gold
lace and jewels. Round her waist she
had u jeweled zone, and round her neck
"iewels of silver mud jewels OF gold"
were multiplied in barbarousprofusion
she had rings on all her fingers, she
wore bracelets, armlets, and anklets
Of gold and her ears were strangely
decorated, for not only were tho lower
lobes perforated, but the rim OF each
ear was pierced in several places, and
instead Of one jeweled drop each ear
sustained four or five.


The first effect produced on me by
this profuse display of personal orna-
mentation was amazement, and when
the absurdity OF it appeared 80 great
that it WIS difficult to refrain from
laughter. Yet we could not help being
pleased with the woman who had taken
so much pains with herself to please us |;
and when she came forward to shake
hands, which she did rather awkwnrdly,
we bowed our lowest and smiled our
sweetest. To her succeededa n tall, finely
built, very handsome woman, Of about
twenty years of age Her figure was
perfect ; the grace Of her carriage was
faultless, and her large black eyes wero
so lustrous they seemed to flash light.


With the first lady the richness OF cos
tune was most prominent, but with this
woman the beauty OF her person far out
shone the magniicence of her attire.
She was dressed and ornamented, with
some slight variations, like uAto her
sister-wife, to whom, indeed, she was
really n sister; for the Prince informed
lis that they were the children not only
of the same father but by the same
mother. She moved toward us like
queen -self-possessed and gracious and
though she had not the manner of
Enropnnn laly thp mode of her hand
shaking was unimpeachable. A few
moments elapsed before the third wife
presented herself. Her appearance was
insignificant, her features exprcssionless;
her eyes lacked lustre, her form, though
not angular, was spare and distitute of
all grace; her movement was awkward,
and though dressed not less grandly
than the others, her costume appeared
far less resplendent.