148 



EASTERN ETHIOPIA 



XII 



utility rather than beauty. They make baskets for fish, 

 and neat cages for quails by plaiting grass. The quail 

 cages are quite a feature of their villages ; they are 

 suspended on long poles hung at a slant near the 

 entrances and each cage contains one quail. AVlien in 

 use snares are set in the neighbourhood of the poles and 

 the cage-birds are excellent decoys. 



These people have many strange and unmentionable 

 customs. Though wives are obtained by purchase, it 

 is regarded as a shameful thing if a girl is not found to 



^m 



The Stone Wall i>f a Kavii'on(l(j Village. 



be a virgin on her wedding day, and this matter has 

 to be demonstrated in public. 



As in civilised communities, even the highest, the 

 names of children are often suggested by some event 

 happening at the time. For example, as Hobley points 

 out, when Europeans were great rarities in the country, 

 a child born on the day when a caravan camped 

 at the village, would often be named after the 

 leader of it, if he chanced to be well known. Thus 

 Jacksinis, Martinis, and Obilis are very common, 



