332 OCCUPATION OF THE TABEEBS. 



straps are secured, and within which the people 

 sit at prayers, so that should any one go to sleep, 

 he might not fall and hurt himself, or disturb the 

 others. The Goodam is divided into two por- 

 tions, one side being occupied with the women, the 

 other by the men, and no unnecessary communica- 

 tion is permitted between the sexes. They eat and 

 drink together Once a-day in the evening, each 

 having a fixed portion of food. The women grind 

 flour, and work as do other Shoan females; the 

 monks labour at the forge, or in the fields belonging 

 to their convent. The Tabeeb women also make 

 the earthenware vessels in the country, as all iron- 

 work is done by the men. There are two superiors, 

 an aged woman who has charge of the females, and 

 an old man placed in authority over the males. 

 The Negoos is a great friend to the Tabeeb?, and 

 gives to them several oxen during the year. Be- 

 sides he has bestowed a great deal of land upon 

 the various monasteries of these people, of which 

 institutions there are no less than forty-two in 

 Shoa. When the good man left me, I gave him a 

 pair of scissors in return for his drinking horn, as I 

 now made it a rule not to receive any memolagees. 

 He was so delighted with my gift, that he pressed 

 me very much to come and see him at his convent, 

 as soon as ever I dared to move about, and 

 promised me a very good reception. 



The Abyssinians in making their drinking-horns, 

 show considerable ingenuity, not so much in the 



