284 Agricultural and Land produce of Shoa. £No. 148. 



object of traffic. The cream is allowed to settle in an earthen pot, 

 and is stirred up with a stick spiit at the end into several points, to 

 which a quick rotatory motion is given, between the palms of the 

 hands, and the butter-milk being strained through a cloth, tied over 

 the neck of the vessel, the particles of butter are collected and packed 

 up in a gourd. Being prepared with no attention to cleanliness, 

 soon acquires a rancid smell, which, according to the taste of the 

 inhabitants greatly enhances its value. Besides being used in their 

 culinary purposes, they employ it as pomatum for the hair, and without 

 a plentiful supply of the glistening grease upon their heads, they con- 

 sider that there is something particularly deficient in their personal 

 appearance and external decorations. 



91. The cattle disease is called " abba sanga," the legs swell, the 

 appetite entirely fails, and becoming thinner and thinner, the animal 

 dies. This disease is either infectious or epidemic, and no remedy has 

 been discovered to cure it ; but the Amhara soon recruits his droves 

 at the expense of his Galla neighbour. The last military expedition 

 procured an addition of twelve thousand beeves to his majesty's 

 wealth in kine, and a proportional benefit also accrued to his robber 

 subjects. 



92. There is some slight attention paid to the comfort of the sheep, 

 which also exist in numerous flocks throughout the country ; they are of 

 a small size, without the ponderous tail of fat, and in general are of 

 a black and white colour. In the dry season, they are during the night 

 enclosed in an open pen, but during the prevalence of the rainy wea- 

 ther, they are admitted to the shelter of a roof; for although the hoar 

 frost nightly covers the surface of the land during the months of 

 October, November and December, yet ice is seldom seen. There is 

 plenty of food upon the ground, and the cold does not seem to be so 

 injurious to the flock, as exposure to a continuation of rainy weather. 

 The pregnant ewes are always kept in the house until eight days after 

 the lamb is produced, when they are again permitted to join the 

 flock. 



93. The Abyssinian sheep is found in all parts of the country ; the 

 ewes are very prolific indeed, lambing twice a year, and having often 

 two or more lambs at a time; and a tolerable supply of grass and 

 salt is stored up for their sustenance, during the season of drought. 



