ANTALOW. 
157 
has always six or seven slaves in attendance, one of whom brushes 
the flies away with a choury made of cow's tail ; the business of 
another is to replace his garment, when it falls down from off his 
shoulders, unless the minister should be present, to whom this office 
then devolves. All ranks appeared to stand in great awe of his 
authority, except a few favourite slaves, who seemed to be perfectly 
at their ease ; among them were two blacks from Sennaar, who had 
the broad Negro features, and whose hair, the Ras once observed, 
was like black pepper. 
" In the decision of causes, which ever party maybe in the wrong 
it generally turns to the advantage of the Ras, who decides the 
matter. The parties begin by denying each other's statement: one 
then proceeds to say, that if he is found in the wrong he will forfeit 
to the judge a quantity of salt, a mule, slaves or gold, or whatever 
the other may be willing to stake upon his veracity. The other 
having agreed to a fixed penalty, the cause is put off until farther 
evidence is brought, when the party in the wrong is convicted and 
punished, only by the loss of what he had voluntarily pledged 
himself to risk : they then kiss the ground three times, and retire. 
*' I was informed that land descends by inheritance from father 
to son, and if there is no son, to the brother ; but that all the chil- 
dren and relations have a claim to a maintenance. In default of 
kindred, people often make over their land to a friend to be sold ; 
half the produce going to the poor, and half to the priests. The 
Ras never thinks of removing any chief, or of interfering with him, 
so long as the established tribute is paid. There are many of his 
relations, to whom he has granted land free of all rent, among 
whom are Barrambarras Toklu, and Basha Guebra Eyatt. I en- 
