SCRIPTURAL MANNERS. 159 



by those who had the means of purchasing it, and 

 these intruding with their applications were sup- 

 plied at a price, whilst the wretched poor were left to 

 die. In this position, having nothing to dispose of 

 but their labour, a starving multitude of some thou- 

 sands appealed to the Negoos to grant them food, 

 and in return to receive their freedom, or at least 

 their services for life. This was granted, and even 

 after the cholera had swept off nearly two-thirds of 

 their number, above a thousand such individuals were 

 found to be in bondage to the Negoos, and duly 

 registered as slaves. This condition was certainly 

 little more than nominal, for, except upon extraor- 

 dinary occasions, such as constructing the bridge 

 dams over the streams on the roads to Angolahlah, 

 and to Debra Berhan, or when employed building 

 stone enclosures for the Negoos, a service scarcely 

 ever exceeding three days in three months, this 

 class of slaves were never called upon for regular 

 or long-continued labour. 



In the course of the ten succeeding years, how- 

 ever, children were born to these people, and the 

 question then arose, as to whether they shared the 

 bondage of their parents, or were free. This was 

 brought to issue by the Negoos bestowing certain 

 lands, upon which were domiciled several of these 

 bondsmen, upon a courtier, who made a demand of 

 service from the children, which the parents re- 

 fused to admit as his right, and an appeal was 

 made to the Negoos in consequence. The court of 



