The Dress Of Both
Sexes Is Composed Of Cotton Cloth Of Their Own Manufacture:
That of
the men is a loose frock, not unlike a surplice, with drawers which
reach half-way down the leg; and they wear sandals on their feet,
and white cotton caps on their heads.
The women's dress consists of
two pieces of cloth, each of which is about six feet long and three
broad. One of these they wrap round their waist, which, hanging
down to the ankles, answers the purpose of a petticoat; the other is
thrown negligently over the bosom and shoulders.
This account of their clothing is indeed nearly applicable to the
natives of all the different countries in this part of Africa; a
peculiar national mode is observable only in the head-dresses of the
women.
Thus, in the countries of the Gambia, the females wear a sort of
bandage, which they call jalla. It is a narrow strip of cotton
cloth wrapped many times round, immediately over the forehead. In
Bondou, the head is encircled with strings of white beads, and a
small plate of gold is worn in the middle of the forehead. In
Kasson the ladies decorate their heads in a very tasteful and
elegant manner with white seashells. In Kaarta and Ludamar, the
women raise their hair to a great height by the addition of a pad
(as the ladies did formerly in Great Britain), which they decorate
with a species of coral brought from the Red Sea by pilgrims
returning from Mecca, and sold at a great price.
In the construction of their dwelling-houses the Mandingoes also
conform to the general practice of the African nations in this part
of the continent, contenting themselves with small and incommodious
hovels. A circular mud wall, about four feet high, upon which is
placed a conical roof, composed of the bamboo cane, and thatched
with grass, forms alike the palace of the king and the hovel of the
slave. Their household furniture is equally simple. A hurdle of
canes placed upon upright sticks, about two feet from the ground,
upon which is spread a mat or bullock's hide, answers the purpose of
a bed; a water jar, some earthen pots for dressing their food; a few
wooden bowls and calabashes, and one or two low stools, compose the
rest.
As every man of free condition has a plurality of wives, it is found
necessary (to prevent, I suppose, matrimonial disputes) that each of
the ladies should be accommodated with a hut to herself; and all the
huts belonging to the same family are surrounded by a fence
constructed of bamboo canes, split and formed into a sort of wicker-
work. The whole enclosure is called a sirk, or surk. A number of
these enclosures, with narrow passages between them, form what is
called a town; but the huts are generally placed without any
regularity, according to the caprice of the owner. The only rule
that seems to be attended to is placing the door towards the south-
west, in order to admit the sea-breeze.
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