SUMPTUARY EDICT. 337 



the contrary, wear one string of beads around their 

 necks, formed of a hundred large and differently 

 coloured beads, among which bright red ones seem 

 to be preferred. These are divided into lengths 

 by the interposition of pieces of amber, at least 

 twice as long as those employed by the Christian 

 women in collecting together into one, the various 

 bead threads of their necklaces. The silver brace- 

 lets of the Islam are also different in form from 

 those worn by the Christians, consisting of two or 

 three thick silver wires, twisted upon each other, 

 and finished at each extremity by a beaten square 

 head. This is looped around the wrist, where it 

 remains until required as security for loans, the 

 most important use, I think, of silver articles in 

 Shoa, amongst all religious denominations. No 

 golden ornaments are ever observed among the 

 Shoans, for a sumptuary edict of the Negoos for- 

 bids his subjects the use of this metal; the royal 

 family of course being excepted. 



VOL. IT. 



