MARKET AT ABU GUSSI. 51 of course chiefly proceeding from the women, whose charms were arrayed in the native dress of grease and dirty sheets. All the women were appallingly hideous, ranging from the coal-black negress to the yellow nondescript, a mixture of every race in Africa and Asia, and sometimes with a dash of Southern Europe. Every one had her hair done in the approved fashion, viz. parted in the middle, and hanging down in little tight plaits, ornamented with cowries and blue beads, and dripping with grease. A strong contrast to these were their lords and masters, mostly strikingly handsome men, who paraded about with great solemnity, only unbending their dignity when a bargain affected their pockets We had been considerably misled about the koorbashes and water-skins. The only ones visible were private property, and I had to interview their owners separately on the subject ; most of these flatly refused to part with them, asking with considerable reason how on earth they were to get home without them ? A few only unbent, and condescended to sell them at fabulous prices. Eventually I got E 2