IDEAS OF JUSTICE. 59 



him, read a portion of one of the chapters, at the 

 termination of which would commence again the 

 calling upon the name of Allah, rocking themselves 

 backwards and forwards in the most violent manner 

 until nearly exhausted, when another supply of 

 coffee being ready, and a portion of the Koran 

 read as before, they prepared themselves for 

 another bout of the vociferation. This they called 

 a zekar, and would sometimes keep it up the whole 

 night, much to the disturbance of their less devout 

 neighbours. 



The Dankalli women are greater apparent devo- 

 tees of Islamism than those of any other eastern 

 country I visited. Continually, whilst at work, they 

 chant some sacred passages of the Koran, or as- 

 semble in each other's houses to join in domestic 

 zekars; and here I must observe, that though some- 

 what attempted on the part of the Sultaun's family, 

 from an affectation of Arab customs, the women are 

 not precluded, except by their own feelings of pro- 

 priety, from the freest intercourse with the men. 



In their judicial proceedings, they affect to be 

 directed entirely by the law of the Koran, and have 

 a very quiet fat old Kadee, who superintends mar- 

 riages, circumcisions, and other civil and religious 

 ceremonies ; but from what I could learn from a 

 conversation held by Mr. Cruttenden with Cassim, 

 very summary proceedings sometimes characterize 

 their administration of justice. 



Ohmed, the eldest son of the Sultaun, had with 



