These had not sat long, and before the old man had finished his doleful story, when another married daughter of his, her husband, Walder-Yoannes, and an infant, slung in the lady’s tobe upon her shoulders, also arrived. They lived in the town of Lomee, a neighbouring height, visible from my garden, and about half-way between Aliu Amba, and Myolones, and coming to market with some grain, they came to my house, to stay for the day, with Wallata Gabriel. In accordance with Abyssinian custom, they had brought their provisions with them, a large roll of teff bread being taken out of the mekanet of Walder-Yoannes, and placed in charge of my housekeeper until after tuzziart, three o’clock, P.M., when, by the regulations of the canon law, they might make their first meal for the day. A pretty noisy party I had now collected about me, for they talked at the top of their voices, and had a great deal to say about one thing or another, and as they were invited to stay the whole day, and also to make my house their resting-place, on all other occasions of coming to Aliu Amba, they soon felt themselves quite at home.
The confused buzzing sound of the distant market, was audible at my house, and the cries of the different vendors hawking their wares, resounded along the narrow winding lanes. Tut allishe ahmulah, cotton in exchange for a salt-piece. Burr allishe ahmulah, silver in exchange for the same. Gaisho allishe tut. All being different cries, which, with many others, might be heard in all directions.
My female visitors remaining after their lords and masters had gone to the market, with the usual industry characteristic of the women of Shoa, they sat down upon the floor, and chatting away, commenced spinning cotton; for I had made up my mind to have a cloth woven at home, from the first operation of cleaning the cotton, to the weaving of the last bit of shumlah, in the ornamented extremity of the tobe. Walderheros had entered into the spirit of my wish, and had already exchanged some grain, which we did not require, for a quantity of raw cotton, as it is taken from the pods of the plant; in which state it is full of seeds, and other substances, that have to be separated by a simple process of cleansing I shall describe in another place. He had now gone to market upon the same business, to purchase more of the raw material, the value of three ahmulahs, or about thirty pound weight of cotton, being considered as sufficient for a cloth about eight yards long, and one cubit broad.
CHAPTER XXI.
Spinning cotton.—Of police force of Shoa.—Mode of administering justice.—Priest lawyers.—Politics of Shoa.—French intrigues.—Different kinds of cotton.—Process of cleaning it.—Instruments used.—Return from market.
I lay watching the cotton-spinners some time, thinking upon the effect produced in the human form by occupation, as I noticed that the arms of the whole party were the most beautifully moulded I had ever seen. I could attribute this general characteristic of Abyssinian women, to no other cause than the action and exercise dependent upon spinning, which requires both arms to be in constant motion, without any heavy labour being imposed at the same time. The white fleecy cotton, reposing like a wreath of snow upon the bronze red skin of the hand and wrist, is gradually carried to its farthest extent one way, whilst drawing from it the long slender thread, the other hand conducts, in an opposite direction, the short thin reed tipped with a piece of ivory or horn that forms the reel, which spinning as it hangs, its effect upon the thread depends upon the slowness or quickness with which the cotton is drawn out. Continued gentle exercise in some light occupation, would lead to somewhat similar effects in forming a beautiful arm, and I recommend it to my countrywomen, whom I certainly thought of when I made the observation in Aliu Amba.
An unfortunate Arab, named Allee Chous, one of the discharged servants of the mission, now came in. He had that morning been robbed of sixty-three ahmulahs, the last money he had in the world, and although he hoped to discover the thief, had nothing with which to purchase his next week’s provision in the market. I understood the statement to be an appeal for assistance, and as I felt some sympathy for his situation, I gave him the last two salt-pieces I had in the house. Tinta coming in soon after, I made some inquiries respecting the police of Shoa, and learned that there was a regular body of men employed as thief-takers, called Labarshoitsh, who have an ullica, or superior, and form a portion of the royal household. They are agents of the King’s commands alone, and it is not until directions have been given by him that they proceed to apprehend culprits. Thieves must therefore have been denounced by name before a Labarshi is sent upon his errand. The Negoos refuses to entertain charges where the accused parties are unknown, on the same plea that, according to Abyssinian ideas, the devil will be repulsed at the last day by our Saviour; on his demand for justice, the monks say he will be asked the names of the souls that belong to him, which, not being able to give, Jesus will then answer, “Begone from hence, for I know none of thine.”
Most cases of theft, however, are not brought before the Negoos at all, but before the governors of the towns in which the crime has occurred, a summary kind of conviction takes place, the stolen articles being returned to the owner, and the property of the thief confiscated, who, if dissatisfied, can make an appeal to the Negoos; but in that case he must have very good evidence of innocence, or he will, in addition to the loss of his property, receive a severe flogging, commonly inflicted by the Labarshi, at the gate of the inner court of the palace, where the Negoos, if he pleases, may see the punishment.
In cases of suspicion or doubtful guilt, singularly enough, the Shoans follow certain instructions which they say are contained in the epistles of St. Paul, and point more particularly to that passage in the sixth chapter of Hebrews, where it is said, “An oath for confirmation is the end of all strife.” It is, therefore, customary for the accuser and the accused to present themselves at a church, where before a priest mutual oaths are required to be taken; the former swearing to the loss of his property, the latter that the crime laid to his charge is unfounded, and there, unless further evidence is obtained, the matter ends. Should the accused refuse to purge himself in this manner of the accusation, it is considered as a confession of guilt, and the priest then acts as mediator, and generally receiving a small fine for the use of the Church from the delinquent, he is made the agent to restore the stolen property to the rightful owner, and the affair is quietly hushed up amongst them.
Originally, I believe European lawyers were priests, and, perhaps, in this portion of the duties of the clergy in Abyssinia, we have at the present day, law practice as it existed amongst our ancestors in an early state of society. In making wills, it may be also observed, where a number of sons are left behind, the monks in Shoa are the only executors, three of them being closeted with the dying father, receive his commands, and after the celebration of the tescar, or funeral feast of the deceased, they then assemble the children, and divide what property is left, according to the verbal directions of the testator, and from their allotment there is no appeal, even if they should disinherit, with a single ahmulah, the son that has been supposed to have been the greatest favourite with the father.