Page 377 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

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COAST OF NUBIA. [CH.

of the natives of the interior of Africa,
had neither the disagreeable contour, thick
lips, flattened nose, nor woolly hair, peculiar
to that race. Their features, on the contrary,
were soft and pleasing, and resembled what

we may imagine to belong to an intermediate
race between the Abyssinian and Bedowin
Arab : in stature they were generally above
the middle height, and their limbs, though
well proportioned, did not appear remarkable
for strength. Their hair was plaited and
frizzled out with ringlets which descended
from a large mass on the crown of the head.
Through the centre of this knot was thrust a
circular piece of hard wood, about eight
inches in length, resembling a skewer, which

appeared from the use we saw made of it, to
answer as a comb. The few females we ob­
served here tending sheep, were not distin­
guished by a prepossessing appearance.
Their dress and ornaments consisted of brace­
lets of glass-stones, and shells, strung round
their wrists ; a tanned hide worn round the
middle, and a loose wrapper thrown over the

shoulder, whilst their faces were uncovered.
The men wore a piece of cloth encircling their