Page:Sixteen years of an artist's life in Morocco, Spain and the Canary Islands.djvu/56

Rh hesitation, and to seek for a more suitable substitute.

The momentous question of what she should wear, therefore, again became the subject of deliberation and after many pros for this, and many cons against that, a decision was at length, with some difficulty, arrived at. A pale blue caftan, embroidered with silver, carried the day. Having found a way for her ample proportions into the selected garment, a somewhat shorter one, of crape-like material, which spangled all over, was thrown over it. Her bodice, which was worn open, was richly embroidered with gold; and one of those superb striped scarfs, which are generally worn in this country, was tied round her not very slender waist. The sleeves of the dress were wide and flowing, leaving the arms, except where they were covered with the peculiar bracelets worn here, quite exposed and bare. These bracelets, which are extremely heavy and massive, consist of solid gold band, with silver and gold projections; and they have been adopted even by some of our own fair countrywomen who have visited Morocco. Her fingers were painted with little sprigs in bright orange henna, as were also her feet, which, to match her hands, were stained with ornaments of the same bright colour. The latter, considering