LL NATIONS.

No. XII.

KANEMBOO MARKET-WOMAN.

[Illustration]

The people of Kanem, in Central Africa, are known by the name of
Kanemboo, and consist of tribes of Tibboos. The women are
good-looking, laughing negresses, and all but naked. Most of them have
a square or triangular piece of silver or tin hanging at the back of
the head, suspended from the hair, which is curiously and laboriously
trained, and no one of tender years has anything like a perfect head
of hair. From childhood the head is shaved, having only the top
covered; the hair from hence falls down quite round from the forehead
to the pole of the neck, and is then formed into one solid plait,
which in front lying quite flat just over the eyes, and behind being
turned up with a little curl, has just the appearance of an
old-fashioned coachman's wig in London.

The women flock from the neighbouring negro villages to the weekly
fsug, or market, with baskets of gussut, gafooly, fowls, and honey,
which may be purchased by small pieces of coral amber of the coarsest
kind, and coloured beads. Major Denham, in his "Travels in Northern
and Central Africa," says "one merchant bought a fine lamb for two
bits of amber, worth, I should think, about two-pence each in Europe;
two needles purchased a fowl; and a handful of salt, four or five
good-sized fish from the lake (Tchad)."

SHOUAA WOMAN.

_Kingdom of Bornou_.

[Illustration]

The Shouaa Arabs are a very extraordinary race, and have scarcely any
resemblance to the Arabs of the north; they have fine open
countenances, with aquiline noses, and large eyes; their complexion is
a light copper-colour; they possess great cunning with their courage,
and resemble in appearance some of our best favoured gipsies in
England, particularly the _women_; and their Arabic is nearly pure
Egyptian.

The best residences of the Shouaas consist of two enclosures, besides
one for their horses, cows, and goats. In the first of these divisions
is a circular hut, with a cupola top, well thatched with gussub straw,
something resembling that of the Indian corn; the walls are of the
same materials; a mud wall, of about two feet high, separates one part
from the rest, and here their corn is kept; and a bench of like
composition, at the opposite side, is their resting-place; this is
covered with mats; and spears and wooden bowls for water and milk,
hang on pegs, and complete the furniture; here is the master's own
apartme