636 Report on Shoa [No. 140. 



indeed few couples who live any time together without violating the 

 conjugal bed, the matter not being particularly regarded, and a beating 

 being the only punishment inflicted upon the offending party. 



36. Lost to all sense of shame, many of the libertine inhabitants 

 keep their wives and concubines under the same roof, the favorite for 

 the time being having all authority over the rest, who submit in the 

 meekest manner without repining to the thraldom of the degrading situ- 

 ation. Nay, they even declare, that it is better to have some one to 

 talk to, even though she be the supplanter of affection, than to remain 

 solitary in a lone house by themselves ; nor are these grovelling senti- 

 ments to be much wondered at, when we consider that the jewel, 

 chastity, is here as pearls before swine, and that the utmost extent of 

 reparation to be recovered in a court of justice for the most aggra- 

 vated case of seduction is but five pennies sterling ! 



37. Morality is indeed at the very lowest ebb, for here there is 

 neither custom nor inducement to be chaste, and beads, more precious 

 than gold, bear down every barrier of restraint ; honesty and modesty 

 both yield to the force of temptation, and pride is seldom offended by 

 living in a state of idle dependence on others. The soft savage requires 

 but little inducement to follow the bent of her evil passions according to 

 the dictates of unenlightened nature, and the rules of the loose society 

 form no obstacle whatever to the entire gratification of her vicious desire. 



38. Christian only in name, the nation is plunged in a filthy quag- 

 mire of bestial indulgence, and is stiff-necked and puffed up with the 

 most inordinate self-pride. There is little chance of their benighted 

 minds receiving voluntarily one single ray of good to enlighten their 

 spiritual darkness. Founding every hope of salvation in the preservation 

 of weary fasts, in the performance of vain ceremonies, and in the belief of 

 ridiculous doctrines, they consider that faith in the true word is but an 

 empty sound, and that kissing the stones of Jerusalem availeth rather 

 than all the good works which can be compassed during a long life- 

 time. 



39. Death closes the weary scene of barbarous licentiousness, and 

 is met with the usual stoicism of the savage. On the demise being 

 fully ascertained, the body is washed with warm water, and wrapped up 

 in sundry cotton cloths according to the wealth of the family, the amu- 

 lets and mahtah of the deceased are also immersed in liquid, and being 



