Syria and the Holy Land : their scenery and their people : incidents of travel, &cfrom the best and most recent authorities . lustrous eyes, shaded with long lashes, have always been inhigh esteem among the Orientals, and the women have all recourse to theaid of art in enhancing the natural charms of their glorious orbs. Theytinge the eyelashes and the edges of the eyelids with a black powder calledkohl or surmeh, the effect of which is really very beautiful. So much cannotperhaps be said for the bright orange colour which they give their toes andfingers by means of a paste made of henneh powd
Syria and the Holy Land : their scenery and their people : incidents of travel, &cfrom the best and most recent authorities . lustrous eyes, shaded with long lashes, have always been inhigh esteem among the Orientals, and the women have all recourse to theaid of art in enhancing the natural charms of their glorious orbs. Theytinge the eyelashes and the edges of the eyelids with a black powder calledkohl or surmeh, the effect of which is really very beautiful. So much cannotperhaps be said for the bright orange colour which they give their toes andfingers by means of a paste made of henneh powder, in which they wrap themup before they lie down at night. The tinging of the edges of the eyelidswith kohl is a very old practice in the East, for it is mentioned in the Bible,tand from thence the fashion passed to the Roman ladies, who applied thepowder in the manner and with the instruments in use in the present day. % * See the figure of the dancing girl at p. 191. t II. Kings, ix. 30. Our authorized version says Jezebel painted her face ; the Vulgatereads depinxit ocuos stws, painted her eyes. + Juvenal, Sat. FG Lady of Damascus. DAMASCUS. 249 Dining with the British Consul we met M. Baudin, a gentleman of whoseintelligent good nature all travellers who have known him speak with grati-tude and respect. He was accompanied by his lady—I believe a DamasceneChristian—in the full costume of the country. The ladys dress wasmagnificent, being exactly the same as that worn by the Damascene ladiesin full dress in their houses. She had wide richly-figured trousers, her barewhite foot was thrust into an elegant purple slipper, richly embroidered withgold, having a silk tassel at top, and a jewel fastened beside it. Her bosom was concealed by a thin fold of gauze, her vest of pink-figuredsilk, fringed with gold, was open at the breast, and confined to the waist bya Cashmere shawl, from which descended a long figured robe, which hungdown behind, trailing on the ground, and,
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