When  he  has  finished,  he  puts  a  period  to  his  remarks  by  seizing  the
judge's  cotton  robe  and  making  a  large  knot  in  the  corner.  When  the
defendant  has  concluded,  he  ties  a  like  knot  in  the  opposite  corner.  Dur-
ing the  progress  of  the  case  this  tying  and  untying  goes  on,  it  seeming  to
be  a  part  of  the  court  procedure  to  mark  the  progress  of  the  suit.  The
cause  of  the  trouble  may  be  a  blow  or  a  petty  theft,  and  the  award  to  the
injured  party  consists  of  money,  honey,  butter,  or  other  food.  These
minor  judges  are  subject  to  call,  night  and  day.
ABYSSINIAN  FARMERS.
It  requires,  in  fact,  no  great  amount  of  perception  to  see  that  the
Ras,  his  chiefs  and  sub-chiefs,  the  drummers  of  every  grade  and  the
judges  are  the  hardest  worked  individuals  in  Abyssinia.
