a cotton shirt and drawels. Some wear tlle taklyell, and a rery few the tarbush an(t turban: many have hegabart above the elbow on the right arm; anal almost all carry a knife upon the left, an(l frequently a leail of tweezers are thrust into the sheath of the knite, which the peasants use in removing the thorns of the askanit.

The xvomen are generally very beautiful, and are a shade or two lighter than the men. They wear their hair long, plaited, and loafle(l with grease. Their dress consists of a piece of cottcxn cloth roun(l the waist, generally passed oer the shoulders; many of thesll wear silver ortlaInents roun(l their necks, bracelets, earrings of a tremen(lous size, pon(lerous nose-lint,s, and ornaments for the ankles. Some hae a few leaels of gold, mixe(l with glass or o?her beaels, round their necks; an(l those who cannot affvr(l ornaments of gokl or silver wear them of horn, leather, woo(l, or ilon.

The female s]ave3 and girls svear the rShat or leather fringe round the waist, sometimes ornamence(l with cornelians and silver b(llls. The chiklren of both seses generally go naked till the ate of 6or 8 -ears. Throughout the Beled-es- Sudxin, I)ut more in Kordofin than in any other y)art of it which I visite(l, many of the men, and almost all the wolnen, have three or four perpendicular gashes on each cheek. This disfigurernent is considered by them as a great leauty. I observed, also, some of the women cut on the temples, shoul(lers, fore-arms, breasts, anel back, on one and sometimes on a11 these parts. This operation is performed with a razor, and the parts cut are then rlsl)lbed with wheaten flour and water to present the edt,es of the skin from uniting, and to cause the parts to heal by granulation; for the higher the skin is raise(l after this process, the more beautiful is the eSect produced. Both sexes y)erfume themsels-es once or twice every month. The women are fond of dancing, and perfolm on the (larabukah or drum. Ithe men amuse themselxres with r)layiny on tlle zomarah or flute, male of a reeel; while l)oth sexes perform on the llarebal)ah, or lyle of f1ve strings.

The (liet of these people is simrle: their fare consists of (lhukhn, a grain wllich grows xvell on a sandy soil, maeRe into lrorridge or brea(l; bamiyah, a mucilatinous lTegetable,* sour milk, and the see(l of the askanit, a plant abourtdin, in the desert, but occasil)ning a violent (liarlhea to those who are unaccllstomed to eat it. They also drink arrack,- a spirit distilled from dates, * Ol;ra of the West Inllisllls: the Hibisevs esculents, "le plus glutineux des legllmes," sa) s M. Olivier.-1*'. S . t Araki. 'rhe worzl hers usell is a Greek word adopted hy the Ttlrks.-F. S.

1837.]

VOL. I S. ?

El-' ObetcZ. 179