PRIEST LAWYERS. 317 



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 helieve European lawyers were 

 priests, and, perhaps, in this portion of the duties of 

 the clergy in Abyssinia, w r e 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 pro- 

 perty 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. 



Tinta had made the visit to-day, to ask me if I 

 would accompany him in the evening to visit Ab- 

 doanarch, the new governor, who had expressed a 

 wish that I should call upon him. I excused 

 myself upon the plea of ill-health ; for I did not 

 choose that it should be supposed because I was 

 not upon good terms with the Embassy, that I was 

 anxious to be friendly with those who avowed open 

 hostility to the English, and all white men. Tinta 

 naturally disliked the new governor, so soon agreed 



