An African Harem.

Cromwell Argus, Volume II, Issue 102, 24 October 1871, Page 7

An African Harem.

A writer in tha Cyniull M-tjazlne describes a visit he once mile, with Dr Livingstone, t) the haremof aPrinaeof one of the Comoro Isli'icU. He says : " After inviting U3 to be seated, the Prince left U3, in order to apprise his wives of our arrival. He went oat by a doorway covered by a damask hanging, which we presume, led to the lvdie3' apartment. He returned in a fe v minutes, and with him came, not a wife but a little Milay woman, old and shrivelled, but full of vivacity. Her sharp, shrill voice rang through the room when she announced that the ladies would soon appear. She was evidently the jaintres3 of the harem, and the Prince seemed to be much in awe of her. She was born at O.ipe Town, but had many years a;o married a Johanna man. She spoke English.very imperfectly, but Dutch li'.ce a Dutehlander ; and when she found that Dr Livingstone could speak that language, her pleasure was so demonstrative that I thought she would have embraced him. A c.irtilri wis withdrawn, and, standing in a ro.v on either side of the passage, we saw a nunbar 6f little slave girls, some of whom were very giily dressed. Tnen there came fro a a roo n at the end of the passage a stout la.lv, about twenty-five years of age, who 33 faca was o.ilysived from being commonplace by her large and really beautiful eyes. Her appearance, as she entered the room, was d wiling. The bodice of her dress was of cloth of gold ; the short skirt WA3 of Indian muslin, elaborately worked with gold and silver thread ; her drawers were of the same imperial and similarly ornamented. Her naked feet were slipped into richly-adorned sand lis, and on her hair she wore a purple velvet fez-shaped cap that was refulgent with gold lace and jewels. Round her waist she had a je veiled zone, and round her neck 'jewels of silver and jewels of gold' were multiplied in a barb irous profusion; she had rings on all her angers, she wore bracelets, armlet 3, and anklets of gol 1 ; her ears were string fly decorated, for not only were the lover lobes perforated, but the rim of each eirwas pierced in several places, and instead of one jewelled drop each ear sustained four or five. " The first effect produced on me by this profuse display of pei'sonal ornamentation was anazemcnt, and then the absurdity of it appeared so great that it was difficult to refnin from laughter. Yet we could not help being pleased with the woman who had taken s) much pains with herself to please m ; and when she cane forvird to shake hands, which she did nther awkwardly, we bowed our lo.vost and smiled our sweetest. To her succeeded a tall, finely built, very handsome womn, of about twenty years of age. Her figure was perfect, the grvee of her carriage wis faultless, and her large black eye 3 were so lustrous that they seemed to flish light. " With the first lady the richness of costume wis mo3t prominent, but with this worn in the beauty of her person far out3hons the mignlfbanee of her attire. She wis dre33ed and ornamented, with some slight like unto her sister-wife, to whom, in lead, she wis really a sister; for the Prince imor nvl us thit thev ware the children, not onlv of the sane father but by the same mother. She mived to us like a queen—-self-possessed an I gno'ous ; and though she had not the manner of a European lady, tho modeof her hand-shaking was unimpoaehablo. A few moments elapsed before tho third wife presented herself. Tier appear mco was insignificant, her features expressionless ; her eyo3 lacked lustre, her form, though not angular, was snare and destitute of all grace, | hor movements were awkward, and though 1 dressed not less grandly than the others, I >-. ->nt ume appoared far less resplendent."