A pilgrimage to the temples and tombs of Egypt, Nubia, and ...

A NUBIAN HAREEM. 221
woven in different colours was spread under this
awning, and there my conductors (half a dozen
of Hussein Kiashef s male household) directed
me to seat myself. But I remained standing
until the ladies entered, Avhich they presently
did in a crowd, smelling so abominably of castor-
oil, that I almost sickened at their approach.
They all touched my hands several times, the
mode of salutation in this part of the world, and
said something which of course I did not under-
stand, to which I replied by saying something
equally unintelligible to them ; and we then
seated ourselves upon the mat and looked at
each other, no doubt with similar sentiments of
curiosity and—the reverse of admiration. These
ladies wore their hair, which in hue and quality
is exactly like the fleece of a black sheep (of a
sooty, rusty colour,) in the Nubian fashion, and
so abundantly anointed with castor-oil, that it
distilled all down their cheeks and saturated
their garments. Their faces are tattooed on the
chin and cheeks with blue stars, the under lip
is dyed blue, and the eyelids stained with koJil,
which enlarges and lengthens the appearance
of the eyes, and is thought to add to their
brilliancy. You must not, however, imagine that
my Princesses are negresses ; they are of the