THE FASHIONS AS SEEN AFAR OFF.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 732, 27 September 1870, Page 3

THE FASHIONS AS SEEN AFAR OFF.

«. We might hare thought it absurd if Dt Livingstone had -written, three years ago, that he had found in Africa a tribe the women of which dress as follows :— The Dayous are beautiful women, with exquisite complexions and fine forms, and they dress in the most perfect taste. They wear short dresses reaching to the ankles. Upon the forehead is perched a small hat, the front of which rests upon the nose. They take large bags of hair and wool, saturate them with butter, and hang them on the back of the head, covering the back of the neck. Upon the small of the back they tie a bunch of cotton cloth, coloured and cut into strips. Their shoes are beauties, coming to a point at the toe, and having the long and sharppointed heel placed under the middle of the foot. This makes the foot very small in appearance, but the wearer would tip over forward but for the bags on the head and back. Each woman, when sh« goes out, carries a large plaintain leaf to keep off the sun, which she holds by the stem between the thumb and the forefinger, crooking her elbow up from her body at an angle of 90. The effect is more beautiful than you can

imagine ! The gait of the woman ia more particularly admired. The heayy onea have difficulty in .keeping their'Balance,,hut the light ones pick their along -»3 prettily as hens walk over hot ashes. Young girls go barefooted for some years. After they are of age to put on their shoes, they Buffer •with lameness and sore feet; after that their feet become perfectly deformed, and they hare no more pain. Walking is, however, not a favourite practice with them, and running ia impossible. The Government of the Dayous is really Democratic, the ruler being chosen annually by vote of all the people ; yet it.is said the ■women do not want to vote. All they care for is plenty of hair and little shoes. The men are satisfied with this division, and the fftate is quite prosperous, although the society is rather vulgar and unintellectoial.