unusual for household furniture and utensils, instead of being carried to the gimjon bait, the King's store house, the only public building found in the towns and villages of Shoa, to be allowed to remain in the house to which they have belonged, and in that case, the next holder upon whom the King has conferred it, comes in for these conveniences. It was so in my case, for I found that I had not only obtained possession of a house, but found it ready furnished also. One little drawback from my apparent good fortune was the circumstance that everything was in such a dilapidated and rotten condition, that I was not surprised at the governor not insisting upon such rubbish being taken to that general repository, the " gimjon bait." The fact is, the good people of Shoa manage, as in every other country, to remedy by some conventional subterfuge any political or social injustice; and here, where the descent of property is diverted from its natural course by an arbitrary custom, the evil is counteracted by the exchange, during illness, of everything valuable in furniture or household utensils with near relations, for the most worthless description of the same articles, so that in case of death the Negoos gets a very sorry collection as the heir-at-law to the deceased.

No sooner did Tinta proceed to the house to put Walderheros in possession, than the two women, sisters of the late possessor, came forward, and

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CLAIMANTS SATISFIED.

improving upon the general system, of making the exchange of old worn out things for nearly new ones, they now appealed to a cloud of witnesses, who took part with them, to testify that many of the jars, baking pans, and instruments for clearing and spinning cotton that were in the house, absolutely belonged to them, and which at various times they had lent to their deceased brother. Tinta, to prove his devotion to me, for being now considered to be in great favour with the Negoos, my friendship was valuable, demurred to the claims of the women; but Walderheros, who knew me a little better, put an end to their vociferous claims, and recommending them to see me upon the subject, said it would probably be all settled satisfactorily without a complaint being made to the Negoos, which had been threatened by Tinta.

The market value of every thing that formed their claim did not amount to half a dollar, but as the matter seemed to interest all the inhabitants of the town, it must have been considered of some importance in their eyes, so when they came to appeal to me, and I fully understood, by the interpretation of some Arabs resident in Aliu Amba, what it was that was required, I told the two women they had my consent to take away whatever they chose, only to be quick about it, so that on the morrow I might enter upon my new possession without any more trouble.

July 23d.This morning, my house having

been well swept and dusted, I was summoned by. Walderheros to come and superintend all other arrangements myself. I managed to walk down from Miriam's, and a new large alga, or bedstead, had been sent from the King's store for my use. It was placed for the present in the garden, an ox skin, as usual, being spread over it, so I had nothing to do but to throw myself upon it, and as my boxes and cooking utensils were brought in, direct Walderheros where to place them. Fortunately, no rain fell this day, and my new neighbours, anxious to testify their happiness to have me among them, kept thronging into the garden, amusing themselves also by surveying the premises, suggesting repairs and improvements with the most officious good feeling possible. As all the inhabitants around were Mahomedans, several of my visitors sent to their houses for their gourdshell water pipes, and placing large stones beneath them, took up their several positions in a semicircle around the front of my bed. Miriam, to whom I had given three dollars, pleasingly surprised at receiving so much, seemed most anxious that I should be comfortably settled in my new residence, her son helping Walderheros in arranging everything properly, whilst she busied herself preparing coffee for my numerous visitors.

I was tired and worn out by the time sunset sent them to their several homes, and left me to move into the house, where I sat upon one of my boxes

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THOUGHTFUL KINDNESS.

until the alga had been forced into a narrow recess between the double walls, and my bed reported by the indefatigable Walderheros to be at length ready for me to retire to rest. The pretty wife of Sheik Tigh had brought me some teff bread for supper, as she expected there would be a deal too much for us to do on the first day of my removal, not to feel obliged to any one taking the trouble of baking off our hands. The "wort," or cayenne soup being also prepared, after a light Abyssinian supper, I slept better than I expected, or could have hoped for.

CHAPTER XIV.

Division of time.-My new servant, Goodaloo.-Thatching house. -Islam assistants.-Kindness of Tinta.-Finish roof.-Feast upon the occasion. Remarks upon practice of eating raw

meat.

THE Abyssinians divide the day and night into eight portions of three hours each, and as they commence their fasts the evening preceding, it is to be presumed that they begin a new day at sunset, like the Jews and Arabs. Three hours after sunset is leilet, "evening," all the time intervening between nine o'clock and twelve being so called. From "night's noon," or aculilielet, until duro-oitshiart, "cockcrow," is another term of three hours, and from cockcrow to twart, "sunrise," is three more; after twart is arrafat, or "nine o'clock;" then aculican, “mid-day," between which and sunset is tuzziart, or "afternoon."

During the first night after taking possession of my new house, about the hour of "duro-oitshiart," (here let the reader learn a little Amharic), I was awakened, by a loud thunder-storm, to the disagreeable discovery that my new residence was not water-proof, for the roof admitted a gread deal more rain than it threw