Travels Of Richard And John Lander Into The Interior Of Africa For The Discovery Of The Course And Termination Of The Niger By Robert Huish
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The Arabs Are Generally Thin, Meagre Figures, Though Possessing
Expressive And Sometimes Handsome Features; Great Violence Of Gesture
And Muscular Action; Irritable And Fiery, They Are Unlike The
Dwellers In Towns And Cities; Noisy And Loud, Their Common
Conversational Intercourse Appears To Be A Continual Strife And
Quarrel.
They are, however, brave, eloquent, and deeply sensible of
shame.
Major Denham once knew an Arab of the lower class refuse his
food for days together, because in a skirmish his gun had missed
fire; to use his own words, "Gulbi wahr, (my heart aches,)
Bin-dikti kadip hashimtui gedam el naz. (my gun lied, and shamed me
before the people.)" Much has been said of their want of cleanliness;
they may, however, be pronounced to be much more cleanly than the
lower orders of people in any European country. Circumcision, and the
shaving the hair from the head, and every other part of the body; the
frequent ablutions, which their religion compels them to perform; all
tend to enforce practices of cleanliness. Vermin, from the climate of
their country, they, as well as every other person, must be annoyed
with; and although the lower ranks have not the means of frequently
changing their covering, for it can be scarcely called apparel, yet
they endeavour to free themselves as much as possible from the
persecuting vermin. Their mode of dress has undergone no change for
centuries back, and the words of Fenelon will at this day apply with
equal truth to their present appearance.
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