It
Swept Along From East To West, In A Thick And Constant Stream, And The
Air Was At Times So Dark And Full Of Sand, That It Was Difficult To
Discern The Neighbouring Tents.
As the Moors always dress their victuals
in the open air, this sand fell in great plenty among the kouskous; it
readily adhered to the skin, when moistened by perspiration, and formed a
cheap and universal hair powder.
The Moors wrap a cloth round their face
to prevent them from inhaling the sand, and always turn their backs to
the wind when they look up, to prevent the sand falling into their eyes.
About this time, all the women of the camp had their feet, and the ends
of their fingers, stained of a dark saffron colour. I could never
ascertain whether this was done from motives of religion, or by way of
ornament. The curiosity of the Moorish ladies had been very troublesome
to me ever since my arrival at Benowm; and on the evening of the 25th,
(whether from the instigation of others, or impelled by their own
ungovernable curiosity, or merely out of frolic, I cannot affirm,) a
party of them came into my hut, and gave me plainly to understand that
the object of their visit was to ascertain, by actual inspection, whether
the rite of circumcision extended to the Nazarenes (Christians) as well
as to the followers of Mahomet. The reader will easily judge of my
surprise at this unexpected declaration; and in order to avoid the
proposed scrutiny, I thought it best to treat the business jocularly.
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