Tyler, Royall, 1757-1826 [1797], The Algerine captive, or, The life and adventures of Doctor Updike Underhill, six years a prisoner among the Algerines, volume 2 (, Walpole, NH) [word count] [eaf407v2].
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CHAP. XX.
Quaint fa&longs;hion too was there,
Who&longs;e caprice trims
The Indian's wampum,
And the crowns of kings.
Author's Manu&longs;cript Poems.
ARGUMENT.
Notices of the Habits, Cu&longs;toms, &c. of the
Algerines.
[figure description] Page 132.[end figure description]
The men wear next to their
bodies a linen &longs;hirt, or rather chemi&longs;e,
and drawers of the &longs;ame texture. Over
their &longs;hirt a linen or &longs;ilk gown, which is
girded about their loins by a &longs;a&longs;h, in the
choice of which they exhibit much fancy.
In this dre&longs;s their legs and lower extremity
of their arms are bare. As an outer
garment, a loo&longs;e coat of coar&longs;er materials
is thrown over the whole. They wear
turbans, which are long pieces of mu&longs;lin
-- 133 --
[figure description] Page 133.[end figure description]
or &longs;ilk curiou&longs;ly folded, &longs;o as to form a
cap comfortable and ornamental. Slippers
are u&longs;ually worn, though the soldiers
are provided with a &longs;ort of bu&longs;kin,
re&longs;embling our half boots. The dre&longs;s of
the women, I am told, for I never had
the plea&longs;ure of in&longs;pecting it very critically,
re&longs;embles that of the men, except that
their drawers are longer, and their out &longs;ide
garment is like our old fa&longs;hioned ridinghoods.
When the ladies walk the &longs;treets,
they are muffled with bandages or handkerchiefs
of mu&longs;lin or &longs;ilk over their faces,
which conceals all but their eyes; and, if
toonearly in&longs;pected, will let fall a large vail,
which conceals them intirely. The men usually
&longs;et cro&longs;s legged upon mattre&longs;&longs;es, laid
upon low &longs;eats at the &longs;ides of the room.
They loll on cu&longs;hions at their meals; and,
after their repa&longs;ts, occa&longs;ionally indulge
with a &longs;hort &longs;lumber. I have &longs;uch a laudable
attachment to the cu&longs;toms of my own
country, that I doubt whether I can
-- 134 --
[figure description] Page 134.[end figure description]
judge candidly of their cookery or mode
of eating. The former would be unpalatable
and the latter di&longs;gu&longs;ting to mo&longs;t Americans;
for &longs;affron is their common
&longs;ea&longs;oning. They cook their provi&longs;ions
to rags or pap, and eat it with their fingers,
though the better &longs;ort u&longs;e &longs;poons.
Their diver&longs;ions con&longs;i&longs;t in a&longs;&longs;ociating in
the coffee hou&longs;es, in the city, and, in the
country, under groves, where they &longs;moke
and chat, and drink cooling not ine briating
liquors. Their more active amusements
are riding and throwing the dart,
at both which they are very expert.
They &longs;ometimes play at che&longs;s and drafts,
but never at games of chance or for money;
tho&longs;e being expre&longs;sly forbidden by
the alcoran.
-- 135 -- p407-358
Tyler, Royall, 1757-1826 [1797], The Algerine captive, or, The life and adventures of Doctor Updike Underhill, six years a prisoner among the Algerines, volume 2 (, Walpole, NH) [word count] [eaf407v2].
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