Page:Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Volume 1 (2nd edition).djvu/169

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
Geographical Notice of the Empire of Marocco.
145

not formidable, as they have no idea of the advantage of moving in masses; if their first charge is not decisive, they must be easily routed; many of them are good marksmen; the management of artillery in the field is beyond their comprehension. The

Education of the youth is confined to learning the Korān, which they are taught by rote in the schools, and the management of a horse and fire-arms.

Music is almost unknown; a rude pipe and more barbarous drum are in use, but after listening a long time no pretensions to harmony could be discovered, except among the Shellūh mountaineers, why'songs were plaintive and pleasing.

The Moors are generally a fine-looking race of men, of the middle stature, though at first sight their loose flowing dress gives them the appearance of large men; after middle age they become corpulent, both men and women, owing to their inactive life. They have usually good teeth; complexion of all shades, owing to their intercourse with the negroes, and we remarked the darker the colour generally the finer men, and more determined characters; the women, who are pretty when young, blacken their eye-lashes and eye-brows with al kahol, (lead ore,) and stain the tips of their fingers (as do also some of the men, the fops of this country it is presumed) with 'hhenna, which is far from adding to their beauty, being of a deep orange colour. The

Dress of the Moors is picturesque and graceful; a shirt, with large sleeves, and drawers of ample dimensions, of white linen, over which by many is worn a kaftan, with short sleeve, buttoned to the shape, of bright yellow, or light blue cloth; a many-coloured silk sash round the waist, over thhis a white.

Haïck, a long light woollen, cotton, or silk mantle worn as the Roman toga, and at times a sort of cloak, with a hood, called a

Sulhām, of blue, yet more generally of white casimere; a red cap, round which is wound some white muslin so as to form a turban, and slippers or boots of yellow Marocco leather; the haïck is worn by women as well as men, often the only garment, and at times so fine as to be transparent; the women always wear red slippers, and neither men nor women wear stockings. A

Jellabīa is a coarse serviceable garment, made of worsted, and worn by the poorer people, and cannot be better represented than by making a hole in the bottom of a sack for the head, and cutting the lower corners off for arm-holes.

The Jews are not allowed to wear colours; a black bornoos, black cap, and black slippers, mark their degradation.

The usual food throughout the county is a dish called Kūscăsū, composed of mutton or fowls stewed with a few vegetable, served up in a large fiat earthenware pan, filled to overflowing with granulated pasta, forming a savoury and nutritious dish; this is placed