hes."--CHANDLER'S _Travels in Greece._

Dr. Shaw states that among other curiosities that were taken out of the
tombs at Sahara relating to Egyptian women, he saw a joint of the common
reeds, which contained one of these bodkins and an ounce or more of this
powder.

In England the same practice is adopted by many persons that have gray
hair; but instead of using the black material in the form of a powder,
it is employed as a crayon, the color being mixed with a greasy body,
such as the brown and black stick pomatums, described in the previous
article.

TURKISH HAIR DYE.

In Constantinople there are some persons, particularly Armenians, who
devote themselves to the preparation of cosmetics, and obtain large sums
of money from those desirous of learning this art. Amongst these
cosmetics is a black dye for the hair, which, according to Landerer, is
prepared in the following manner:--

Finely pulverized galls are kneaded with a little oil to a paste, which
is roasted in an iron pan until the oil vapors cease to evolve, upon
which the residue is triturated with water into a paste, and heated
again to dryness. At the same time a metallic mixture, which is brought
from Egypt to the commercial marts of the East, and which is termed in
Turkish _Rastiko-petra_, or _Rastik-Yuzi_, is employed for this purpose.
This metal, which looks like dross, is by some Armenians intentionally
fused, and consists of iron and copper. It obtains its name from its use
for the coloration of the hair, and particularly the eyebrows--for
_rastik_ means eyebrows, and _yuzi_ stone. The fine powder of this metal
is as intimately mixed as possible with the moistened gall-mass into a
paste, which is preserved in a damp place, by which it acquires the
blackening property. In some cases this mass is mixed with, the powder
of odorous substances which are used in the seraglio as perfumes, and
called _harsi_, that is, pleasant odor; and of these the principal
ingredient is ambergris. To blacken the hair a little of this dye is
triturated in the hand or between the fingers, with which the hair or
beard is well rubbed. After a few days the hair becomes very beautifully
black, and it is a real pleasure to see such fine black beards as are
met with in the East among the Turks who use this black dye. Another and
important advantage in the use of this dye consists therein, that the
hair remains soft, pliant, and for a long time black, when it has been
once dyed