PRETTY WOMEN.

Evening Star, Issue 3047, 23 November 1872, Page 1 (Supplement)

PRETTY WOMEN.

Among the letters brought home hy Mr Stanley from Dr Livingstone we (ind the following :—“Many of the Cazembec women wore very pretty, and, like all ladies, would have been much prettier if they only let themselves alone. Fortunately, the dears could not change their charming black eyes, beautiful foreheads, nicely rounded limbs, well-shaped forms, and small hands and feet. But they must adorn themselves, and this they do—oh, the hussies! -hy filing their splendid teeth to points like cat’s teeth. It was distressing, for it made their smile, which has so much power over us he-donkeys. like that of the crocodile. Ornaments are scarce. What would our ladies do if they had noue, but pout and lecture us on “ women’s rights 7” But these specimens of the fair sex make shift by adorning their fine, warm, brown skins, tattooing various pretty devices without colors, that besides purposes of beauty serve the heraldic uses of our Highland tartans. They are not black, but of a light, warm, brown color, and so very sistcrish—if I may use the new coinage—it feels an injury done to oneself to see a bit of grass struck through the cartilage of the nose, so as to bulge out the alcee nasi (wings of the nose of antomists). Cazembe’s Queen — Maori a Ngombe by name would be esteemed a real beauty either in London, Paris, or New York, and yet she had a small hole through the cartilage, near the tip of her fine slightly aquiline nose. But she had only filed one side of the two front of her superb snow-white teeth ; and then what a laugh she had I Let those who who wish to know go and see her carried to her farm in her pony phaeton, which is a sort of throne fastened on two very strong poles, ami carried by twelve stalwart citizens. If they take Plinth's motto for Cazembe, “ Niggers don’t require to be shot here,” as their own, they may show themselves to be men, but whether they do or not, Cazembe will show himself a man of sterling good sense. The Manyuema women, especially far down the Lualaba, are very pretty and very industrious. The market is, with them, a great institution, and they work hard and carry far, in order to have something to sell. Markets are established about ten or fifteen miles apart. There those who raise cassava, maize, grain, sweet potatoes, exchange them for oil, salt, pepper, fish, and other relishes ; fowls, also pigs, goats, grass cloth, mats, and other articles change hands. All are dressed in their best gaudy-colored, many-folded kilts that reach from the the knee. When 200,0 or 3000 are together they enforce jus) ioe, though chiefly women ; and they are an eager traders, they set off in companies by night, and begin to run as soon, a,s they come within the hum arising from hundred of voices. To haggle and joke and laugh, and cheat, seems to be the dearest enjoyment of life. They confer great benefits upon each other. The Baseyna women are expert divers for oysters, and they sell them and fish foy farinaoious food from the women on the east of the Lualaba, who prefer cultivating the soil to fishery. The Manyuema have always told us that women going to market were never molested. When the men of the two districts were engage ! in actual hostilities the women passed through from one market to another unharmed ; to take her goods, even in war, was a thing not to be done. But to these market-women, the half castes directed their guns. Two cases that came under ray own observation were so sickening I cannot allow the mind to dwell upon or write about them. Many of both sexes were killed, but the women and children chiefly were made captives. No,matter how much ivory they obtained, these ‘ Nigger Moslems ’ must have slaves, and they assaulted the markets and ' villages, ant 1 made captives chiefly, as it appeared to me, because, as the men ran off at the report of gnus, they could do it without danger. 1 had no idea before how bloodthirsty men can be when they can pour out the blood of fellowinon in safety.”