A voyage to Senegal : $b or, Historical, philosophical, and political memoirs, relative to the discoveries, establishments and commerce of Europeans in the Atlantic Ocean, from Cape Blanco to the river of Sierra LeoneDurand, Jean Baptiste Léonard
History
A voyage to Senegal : $b or, Historical, philosophical, and political memoirs, relative to the discoveries, establishments and commerce of Europeans in the Atlantic Ocean, from Cape Blanco to the river of Sierra Leone
Durand, Jean Baptiste Léonard
Africa, Northwest; Senegal -- Description and travel
Their dress is very simple. The rich wear trowsers and pagnes, or
pieces of cotton, which hang down to the ground: the latter forms a
sort of great-coat without buttons, which they pass over the breast,
and fasten with a belt; in this belt they place a poniard or large
knife, sometimes two; and as they have no pockets, they put in their
bosom whatever they have occasion to carry about them. A handkerchief
is attached to the belt, but they use it more for wiping their hands
and face than any other purpose: those who are of some respectability
carry two. The common people have their head, legs, and feet naked;
but the others wear, when they can get them, Morocco slippers, or
sometimes half-boots, and always round the head a roll of white
linen, which forms a turban. The latter likewise wear a woollen
cloak, which is of a white colour, very finely made, and is brought
to them from Morocco or Tunis: this cloak is very simple, and has
at top a pointed cape, with which they cover their heads; at the end
of this hood is a long string with a tassel. They never wear sabres
except in the army; and then they either carry them in the hand,
or pass them between the belt and their body. They do not know the
use of regular belts; and though some richly embroidered ones have
been sent to them as presents, they disdain to use them in battle,
but make a parade of them when they go on visits. When they ride
on horseback, the princes wear a sort of jockey boots of Morocco,
and a mass of arms, which are fastened to the saddle bow; and they
carry a lance or sagay in their hands. The others ride almost naked,
but are always armed either with muskets, bows and arrows, or sagays.
[Illustration: _Dresses of the Negroes of Senegal at Cape Verd._]
[Illustration]
The kings are always dressed in finer stuffs than the other Moors;
they have likewise larger tents, and are remarkable for being
covered with white linen or cotton.
The head-dress of the Moorish women is generally composed of a
bandeau of white cotton, a part of which is larger than the rest,
and serves as a veil for the face when they go in the sun: they
often go veiled from head to foot. They have fine and long hair,
which they plait, and leave flowing on their shoulders.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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