Maksir
C ustom s
Drcfs.
a ceremony'which fometitnes lÉÉÉÉËit
feeih is derived the Spapiilx e^prelï^öflQfkdffirijg the;han4§>,.PJ9^|^ly
adopted from their Moorifh viétors. ( The houfes," though qf ifane^are
ioeadly éPbftroöed s the- apartments of the men being fa-front, thqffof
thé vromen behind; and- the fair fex in general feem yqrn^faly. fyh-
mifflvei v G€ a isiddle ftature, th«i* .abd dyied #§-it fay thfi-fafli,
thè Arab is moderate in his; food, ; the common people feldom execefapg
a repaff of bad bread made from durra a kind of miJ^t.,m^^4yith
camels’ milt-., qil, buster* or ^reafet the otdy drfnh.b e i n g , T h i s
bread of durra euftom has taught them to prefer to that qf barley,
which* though pleafant, they think unfcbftantial. Mp^t^is.
even by the rich, who deem it unhealthy in a hqt qlima^e:; gt ,is always
ttewed under a cover, which renders it fyeculeat. Tim ffaaiL|.aJ}le,s,
about a foot in height, are placed on a large cloth, pr fnat, uppn yvfach
the guefts fit. The orientals in general being water drinkers ihjey are
very fond of paftry. The mod noted drink is coffee, w h i c h prepare,
like the Turks, by burning it in an open pan, and then hrpifing in
a Rone, or wooden mortar, which mode, according, to our author,
preferves a fuperior flavour to the common mode of grinding in a mill,
In Yemen it is rarely ufed, as in their opinion it heats the .blood j, but
of the fliells, or hulks of the coffee they prepare a liqupr in the_m|n|ier
of tea. The mod diRinguiflied Arabs ufe porcelain from China,, while
the common people have.recpurfe to earthen ware. Spirituous liquors,
though forbidden, are not abfolutely unknown; add they fometimep
fmoke a plant refembling hemp, which produces intoxication; nor is
tobacco negfe&ed, which is fmoked either in the Turkifix pr Perfian
manner.
The-drefs, like-that of the Turks and Hindoos, is long,pften with
large trowfers, a.girdle of embroidered leather, and a knife, or dagger.
Over the Ihoulder is worn a large piece of fine linen, originally de-
figned to keep off the fun, or therafa. The head-drefs feè.ms op-
preffive, confiding of feveral bonnets, from ten tb fifteen, fome of
linen, others of cotton and woollen, the outmoft being often: richly
embroidered with gold ; and around this multitude of bonnets is wrapt
, what
what ditey 'call a fafeh, being a largè 'piece of rriufifa, with fringes of Dusts,
filk hr gbld, which hang down behind. This thick covering for the head,
which feems at firff glance faosrigruous, may hè neéeffary toifaeure
them from what fee called ftrokes o f the fun: and thé like form is
vififih'in th"è ari'eiènt faónrirnehte o f E^yp®, 'where a labourer will often
ftrif) Mmfelf baked, and pfeefe clodt-hs upon his head,. The chief
éms.JTs often a^lafge fhirt, either'White,-fari Rriped* with blile; while
rité cètó'möïi Arabs haye only a piefee o f linen« girt about the loins, with
the belt and dagger; and aïrothér piece b f Maett over the Ihoulder; and
twö'dr mifeéhoöndts. -The feet are often'naked, and the foies become
excefiivèly hard ; blit ‘in thefaountains they are prote&ed with ftieep
fitl-P*’' ööme'ïhaVè'the head, -While othbfS?ffelE- tiefafaalft-7 The common
"women aredf effed in* thé Huge. flrift and tr o w f eA in Hqjafc, as fa
Egypt,' t h e s e s ate expólëfl between covéringsfaf linfeó, -but-in Yemen
large' "veils are worn,, with rings, bracelets, and nedklabes offalfe pearls-:
fometlmes in addition to éar-rings there-is a-nofe-ring, -as in Hfndoftan.
The nails are Rained red, arid thé fèfet 5tód han;# df a yêlfawifa brown,
with Henna :' ihe’ e^é laflies aré da®éödd %lth;ja‘ririmhhy,-asdri many
other oriental fcoifatfriês; arid ‘ every anfaïs, faxerted -t-o réndér^hè-eyebrowstarge
and black. Pdlyg^myismorifinëdtO'thefifeh^ andthrough-
öfa the whole Mahorhetfa regions :is far -lefs general ih&ü kièomt&tóly
füp'ppfed in Europe.
The language öf the Arabs was, éven in ahcie-rlt tiöiës* -divided f a t a Language
fëy era! ’ dude fits, may h e -fufpëffeü fror^fl® Wide d iffafen; arid
Nïêhühr lays that ltHe faodefn Arabic ccftftafaa-'perhaps more diüeéte
than atty other tongrie. * Ëven 'in YerieÜ;1théfaör4-lPuhdivifi©ï»s ; . and
pplife pebplb life k' different''dhririSaSh5risTi^9ifif%Kpr :#ffl!^ar. The lans--
gu age of th e Koran is ib different fr|om«^e1ih,öd^ri'fpée€hstdf3Meyd^,
th^t ‘ïstk ig h t fa th e colleges there,
the frontier mountairis of Yemen and H-ejaz is ' thought tahapproadh
neareR «to the “ancient Randatd.' • -Orir * fearnedi'-author is [induced to ■
think that;under ‘the Tobba kings, faesreliaraéfars called Pst&poli.tari
Wefë uifeti in Arabia; but théfe ^èeüdlai’&inmie
extnifit, -arid hetïée bélërigjto thé dteabslthemfeWé's.r Tbefe éharaét^s
Were fucceeded by the Hamiark, f a called from a race of kings; and
7 thefe ■