Journal of a second expedition into the interior of Africa, from the Bight of Benin to Soccatoo : $b To which is added, the journal of Richard Lander from Kano to the sea-coast, partly by a more eastern route.Clapperton, Hugh
History
Journal of a second expedition into the interior of Africa, from the Bight of Benin to Soccatoo : $b To which is added, the journal of Richard Lander from Kano to the sea-coast, partly by a more eastern route.
Clapperton, Hugh
Sudan (Region) -- Description and travel
Some of the Fellata women have the hair frizzed out at the ends, all
round the head; others have the hair plaited in four small plaits,
going round the head like a riband or bandeau. This, and all the
plaited parts, are well smeared over with indigo or shumri. The
razor is applied to smooth all uneven places, and give a high and
fine arch to the forehead; they thin the eye-brows to a fine line,
which, with the eye-lashes, are rubbed over with pounded lead ore,
and done by drawing a small pen that has been dipped in this ore. The
teeth are then dyed with the gora nut, and a root of a shining red
colour; the hands and feet, the toe and finger nails, are stained
red with henna. A lady thus equipped is fit to appear in the best
society. The looking-glass is a circular piece of metal, about an
inch and a half in diameter, set in a small skin box, and is often
applied to. The young girls of the better sort of people dress much
in the same manner as their mothers, after they arrive at the age
of nine or ten; before that, they have very little dress, except
the binta or apron, scolloped or vandyked round with red cloth,
with two long broad strings vandyked round in the same manner,
hanging down as low as the heels behind. This is the dress of the
poorer sort of people, until fit for marriage, as also of a great
many of the virgin female slaves.
Their marriages are celebrated without any pomp or noise. The bride,
as far as I was informed, is always consulted by her parents; but a
refusal on her part is unknown. The poorer class of people make up
matters much in the same way; that is, after having got the consent
of one another, they ask their father and mother. The dowry given
by a man of good condition, with regard to riches, may be said to
consist of young female slaves, carved and mounted calabashes or
gourds, filled with millet, dourra and rice, cloths for the loins,
bracelets, and the equipage of her toilet, and one or two large
wooden mortars for beating corn, &c. and stones for grinding, &c.;
even these are carried in procession on the heads of her female
slaves, when she first goes to her husband’s house.
It is said that, in the event of the husband sleeping or having
connexion with any of the female slaves given as dower to the wife,
he must give her in lieu a virgin slave of equal value the next
day. This never causes any dispute between the parties.
Their mode of burial I have never seen; but I understand they always
bury their dead behind the house which the deceased occupied while
living. The following day all the friends and relations of the
deceased visit the head of the family, and sit a while with him
or her. If the husband dies, the widow returns to the house of her
parents, with the property she brought with her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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