These Youths Were Followed By Men And
Women Bringing Milk, Sheep, And Goats, For Which, Grass Being Rare, They
Asked Exorbitant Prices,--Eighteen Cubits Of Cutch Canvass For A Lamb, And
Two Of Blue Cotton For A Bottle Of Ghee.
Amongst them was the first really
pretty face seen by me in the Somali country.
The head was well formed,
and gracefully placed upon a long thin neck and narrow shoulders; the
hair, brow, and nose were unexceptionable, there was an arch look in the
eyes of jet and pearl, and a suspicion of African protuberance about the
lips, which gave the countenance an exceeding _naivete_. Her skin was a
warm, rich nut-brown, an especial charm in these regions, and her
movements had that grace which suggests perfect symmetry of limb. The poor
girl's costume, a coif for the back hair, a cloth imperfectly covering the
bosom, and a petticoat of hides, made no great mystery of forms: equally
rude were her ornaments; an armlet and pewter earrings, the work of some
blacksmith, a necklace of white porcelain beads, and sundry talismans in
cases of tarnished and blackened leather. As a tribute to her prettiness I
gave her some cloth, tobacco, and a bit of salt, which was rapidly
becoming valuable; her husband stood by, and, although the preference was
marked, he displayed neither anger nor jealousy. She showed her gratitude
by bringing us milk, and by assisting us to start next morning. In the
evening we hired three fresh camels [12] to carry our goods up the ascent,
and killed some antelopes which, in a stew, were not contemptible.
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