decorated with this mark of virginity, be his age what it may. The day
of the marriage ceremony, he causes a camel to be slain for the
entertainment of his guests. The women and children, without any
distinction, assemble round the drummer; while he, set upon the ground,
beats with his hand upon the instrument, and sounding through the other
hand like a trumpet, he adds to this horrid noise the beating of his
drum, and an iron chain which he moves with his arm. One person only
dances to these instruments. Without moving from his place, his arms,
his head and his eyes, follow the music. His body remains without any
perceptible motion. His hands waving before his body, form different
gestures, every one more indecent than another. All the spectators beat
time with their hands. With the neck bent forward, and the jaw-bone
turned sometimes to one side, and sometimes another, they make a
thousand different wry faces, to which the dancing lady answers with an
astonishing precision. She finishes with gently reclining towards the
musician; the sounds of the instrument gradually become weaker; the eyes
of the actress are half closed; she gently presses her bosom; every
thing expresses violent passion. But it is not possible to give an idea
of what now passes, nor the air of indifference with which the woman,
who lately played a like part, joins her companions. The young people
form themselves into a circle, in the midst of which only one remains
standing on one leg, and with the other endeavours to defend himself
from the blows which they wish to aim at him; and the first whom he
strikes takes his place. This piece of dexterity is the only one with
which they are acquainted.

The day following the marriage, they separate the new married bride from
her husband, and the friends who are present take water and wash her
from the middle to the feet. They then comb and dress her hair, paint
her nails red, and dress her with new linen. If she is not rich enough
to buy these things, they lend her what she needs till the end of the
feast.

I have always considered as a fable, what I have been told of the
breasts of a Moorish woman, but am now convinced of my error. I have
_seen_ (to cite no other examples), I have _seen_, I say, one of these
women teazed by one of her children, throw them one of her breasts with
such force, that it reached the ground.

Their male children can scarcely walk, when the mother treats them with
the same res