Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 2.djvu/549

THE NORTIIEBN IMOHAOIIS. 45I the habit of veiling the face. The ciwtom hus at hut become a sort of roligioito rite amongst the men, who do not lay aside the veil even during the night. The reason they give for this custom is that the mouth, the organ through which nourishment is received into the Ixwly, should be concealed. Like the Tibbos and most of the other Suhuriaii iK'opU'H, they have from time immemorial been desig- nated by their Arab neighbours as the Ahl-el-Litzam, or " Veiled People/* The nobles and wealthy classes usually wear a black veil, while those of the lower castes, amongst wliom Xegro blcMxl sometimes prevails, have made choice of white. Thus in tlie eyes of the Arabs the nation is divided into two clasps, the " lihK-ks" and the " Whites," and this distinction is precisely the reverse of that which would have to be made if based on the natural colour of the skin. The women never veil the face, except as a mark of res|)e<'t in the presence of strangers. Like the Arabs, the northern Tuaregs shave the hair, retaining fnnn the fore- head to the nape a sort of crest, which helps to support the veil at a sufficient height to allow the air free circulation round the head. When old enough to carry arms, the men begin to wear a bracelet of green serjx^ntine on the right ann, in order, as they say, to give greater jxiwer to the biceps in dealing a blow with the sword. The Targui also never lay aside the long dagger, which is fixed by a leathern strap to the left fore-arm. The usual weapons are the lance and the sword, although they now also make use of the rifle, stigmatised as the " weapon of treason." The face is never tattooed, but hands, arms, and countenance are dyed blue by means of powdered indigo. The rest of the body is clothed in the same colour by the blue cotton blouse and breeches, a costume very much like that of the ancient Gauls. The women in their turn paint themselves yellow with ochre. Thus, although naturally white, the Tuareg men seem to be of a blue and the women of a yellow colour. No one washes, water being sup|K)sed to render the skin more sensitive to the sudden changes of temi)erature. The ablutions prescribed by the Koran are all perfonned in a perfunctory manner with a little sand or a pebble. The moral character of the Tuaregs has IxH'n described perhaps in too flattering colours by Duveyrier, who naturally felt grateful for the loyal assistance alTonled him by the trusty Sheikh Othman, one of the chiefs of the Ifogha tribe. On the other hand, the disastrous termination of Flatters' expe<lition and the horrors attending it have inducwl public opinion to look on all Imohaghs indiscriminately as a cruel, grasping, depraved race of cowanls and traitors. But it would be unfair to involve all alike in the censure perhaps justly applied to some. It is certain that, as a nation, the Tuaregs are endowed with many high qualities. They are brave, faithful to the pledged wonl given to Mohan^medans like themselves, tenacious of the honour of their friends. The Targui marauder, who will make a journey of ten days on his mehari camel in order to carry off the cattle from some hostile tribe, will refrain from touching any deposits made by caravans along the trade routes. The debtor and his heirs never forget their obligations, just as the injured persons and their children never neglect to avenge the outrage. The traditions of the matriarchal state are still preserved amongst the northern Tuaregs. According to the unwritten code called by the Arabs the Bcni-Ummia,