Europe, we should term regular, and their nose less flattened than
that of the negro.
The mein, the walk, and every motion and gesture of the people
of Fezzan, denote a want of energy, either of mind or body. The
tyrannic government, the general poverty of the'country, and their
only food consisting of dates, or a kind of farinaceous pap, with no
meat, and rarely with even a little rancid oil or fat, contribute at
once- to weakness of frame, and dejection of spirit. Even in those
parts, where the race may be supposed to be ameliorated by a mixture
with the Arabs, there is no energy of character, no industry.
Arts and manufactures, will of course supply but a poor and scanty
chapter, exhibiting few articles, and no ingenuity: throughout
Mourzouk, I could not find one single skilful artificer in any trade
or work; indeed, there are no other tradesmen, but shoemakers
and smiths. The latter work every metal without distinction; and
the same man who forges shoes for the sultan s horse, makes rings
for his princesses. The women, indeed, fabricate Coarse woollen
Cloths, called abbes; but for the goodness or value of their manufacture
the reader may form his own estimate, whefi told, that the
weaver's shuttle is unknown, and that the woof is inserted into the
warp thread by thread, and the whole worked solely by hand.
The -dress of the people of Fezzan consists of a shirt or frock,
made of a coarse linen or cotton cloth, brought from Cairo, and the
abbe so often mentioned. The middling classes wear frocks made
at Soudan, of dyed blue cloth. The richer people and the Mamelukes
of the sultan are clothed in the Tripolitan habit, over which
they wear a Soudan shirt of variegated pattern and colours, and
likewise the abbe. The ornamental distinctions of dress are chiefly
confined to the head-dress, and to rings on the arms and legs. The
lady of a chief or wealthy man of Fezzan divides her hair into seven
long curls or tresses; one of these is interbraided with long slips of
gilt leather, terminating in a bow; the other six tresses are bound
round by a gilt leather strop, and at the end of each is a trinket,
which a sketch will best describe.
No, 1. A long stick of coral.
2, 2, Small pieces of amber
3> 3> 3- Little, silver bells,
4, 4, Silver or brass wire.
In addition to these ornaments, the Fezzan woman fastens to the
top of her head silken cords, on which are strung a number of silver
rings, and which hang on each side pendant to her shoulder. The
ears of ladies of rank are bored in two places, and in each hole is
fixed a thick silver ring. In ordinary dress they wear nine or ten
rings of horn or glass on each arm, four or five of which are taken
off on all great occasions, to make room for a silver armillary of
four inches breadth. They Wear at the same time strong rings of
brass or silver just above the ankle bones. The necklace consists
of a silk riband, to which are fixed ten or twelve pieces o f agate,
and in front a round silver plate. The meaner women wear merely
a string o f glass beads, and curl their hair above the forehead into
large ringlets, into which severally is stuffed a paste made of lavender,
carraway-seeds, cloves, pepper, mastiek, and laurel leaves, mixed
up with oil. J;i . no b :