292 MODE OF WRITING. 



scribe then produces a small leathern case, in 

 which he generally carries a supply of parchment, 

 a few reed pens, and a large pair of scissors, to clip 

 off the ridiculously small pieces of parchment upon 

 which the Shoans write their ordinary letters, which 

 have not, sometimes, a surface of more than one 

 inch. A pen being formed, it is carefully examined 

 by thumb-nail and eye, and is then either nibbled, 

 to make it soft, or if it be too soft already, it is made 

 finer by means of a large dinner-knife, which is 

 generally carried in a small slip, in the scabbard 

 of the crooked sword that curls its point nearly 

 • up to the shoulder of the right side, on which it is 

 always worn. Everything being arranged, the 

 parchment is held fast upon the knee by one hand, 

 whilst the long and careful inscription is being made. 

 The process of writing the shortest note is a very 

 tedious one, for every letter is a capital, and 

 although the Geez character, as a syllabic alphabet, 

 is the most correct of any with which I am 

 acquainted, and best suited for conveying exact 

 sounds, still the required attention to the proper 

 situation of the small vowel points, occasions 

 considerable delay. 



Having given Tinta the required information, 

 which was all carefully written down by the duptera, 

 they left Walclerheros and myself for a few moments, 

 whilst they went in to the Negoos, with the improved 

 report. In a very few minutes Tinta returned, and 

 beckoning for me to come, as he appeared at the 



