Custom of giving Memolagee.--Sugar boiling.--Success.--Gratify
the Negoos.--Receive house.--Claims of kindred.--Remarks
upon intestate property.--The two brothers of late owner.--
Removal to new residence.
A custom exists in every Abyssinian court, which requires that no one
shall go empty handed into the presence of royalty. Every visitor to
the Negoos of Shoa in this manner brings with him some present, which,
after having been registered by an officer appointed for that purpose,
is deposited at the feet of the monarch. In return, it is expected that
some request on the part of the inferior is to be graciously acceded
to, and if what is asserted be true, the Negoos is obliged by the law
of custom to consent to whatever is asked, should he accept, in the
first instance, the proffered gift. A monstrous exaggeration of this
system of presenting gifts, to be returned by some greater amount
of property, is, at all events, practised very considerably, by the
Abyssinians, upon ignorant strangers, for the custom is not confined to
an interchange of favours with royalty, but is general also among all
classes. I have myself frequently been imposed upon, or at least have
had attempts made to impose upon me in this manner, when ridiculously
small presents were offered, and then on my acceptance followed some
exorbitant request. A memolagee of eggs, for example, would usher in
a modest demand for as many dollars; when, from a calculation I have
frequently made, one of the latter would purchase one thousand eggs,
at the rate of five eggs for a needle, of which two hundred could
be bought for a dollar. Again, a jar of ale, containing about five
gallons, which would cost the third of an ahmulah, or salt-piece, or
the third of two-pence halfpenny, would be deemed quite a sufficient
gift to ask in return a slave girl, or a mule. To prevent all mistakes,
after I had discovered that I had given considerable offence, in some
cases, by refusing what had been demanded, I made it a rule to know
previously to my accepting it, what was the object for which the
memolagee was offered, and even then it was very seldom I would consent
to give more than the market value of the pumpkins, water melons,
and smuggled honey, which generally constituted these propitiatory
offerings.
The memolagee I had prepared for this visit to the Negoos, at Ankobar,
was about two pounds of sugar which I had managed to manufacture from
cane growing in the neighbourhood of Aliu Amba. I calculated upon the
effect that such a present would have upon the naturally sagacious
mind of the gifted monarch of Shoa, and that the usefulness of such
an article, introduced as a manufactured product of his own country,
would strike him as being of more importance than many richer presents,
the use and value of which he could not, from the circumstances of his
situation, have any idea of.
On my arrival in Shoa, I found that the Wallasmah Mahomed cultivated
sugar-cane in a valley, at the foot of the prison hill of Guancho, and
that he supplied the table of the Negoos with it as a sweetmeat, small
pieces being cut off with a knife, and masticated as I have seen the
inhabitants of Ceylon enjoying it. Whilst staying at Miriam’s house, I
conceived the project of boiling down some sugar as a mode of employing
myself when confined indoors by the fever, or the wet weather. For
this purpose I sent Walderheros to the Wallasmah with a canister of
gunpowder as a memolagee for some sugar-cane, and got in return as
much as my zealous servant could stand under, considering that he had
to carry the bundle upon his head and shoulders for nearly six miles,
along roads of no ordinary kind in the wet season, for that rich,
greasy, slipperiness of surface, where toes well stuck into the mud,
alone admits of any chance of the barefooted wayfarer, pulling himself
up the steep “banks and braes” he has to surmount.
Possessing no means of crushing the cane properly, I was obliged to
have resort to simply pounding it in a large wooden mortar, two or
three of which, of different sizes, are generally to be found in
every house in Shoa. Miriam, her son, Walderheros, and myself occupied
ourselves one day peeling and slicing the long stalks before we could
place the cut-up cane in the mortar, and then we were employed two days
more in triturating it, during which process a little water was added
to take up the saccharine juice, and to free it, according to my idea,
more readily from the cane. Two handsful of the beaten mass were then
placed at a time, in one of my towels, which being folded up, the two
extremities were collected together, and by dint of a great deal of
twisting and screwing by two of us, we managed to force out the liquid
portion, leaving a hard round ball of woody fibrous substance, which,
however, had been pounded sufficiently fine to receive and retain, very
visibly, the diaper pattern of the cloth in which it was strained.
These refuse cakes were very greedily eaten by some goats, and I dare
say, such food would be highly nutritious to animals. The expressed
juice having been received into my copper cooking vessels, they were
placed uncovered upon a low fire, where they continued until more
than one-half of the liquid portion was driven off. The remainder was
then poured into some shallow earthenware dishes, which, with stones
carefully placed under the lower edges of the vessels, to obviate the
inconvenient slope, were exposed upon the conical roof of the house,
to the evaporating influence of the temporary and dodging glimpses of
sunshine, that struggled through the vast number of clouds, which at
this season of the year obscured the sky.
How well I recollect my querulous anxiety, and the patient watchfulness
of Walderheros, as all day long we were obliged to be on the expectant
quick move, to bring out of the passing showers these evaporating
dishes, and which, at length, we were obliged to submit to the
continued action of a slow fire indoors to effect our object, for we
discovered, that what between the moisture in the air, and the frequent
falls of rain the season was not at all propitious for sugar making. In
the end we succeeded in obtaining about two pounds of very excellent
brown sugar, as the result of our joint labours, and very well pleased
all parties were with their success.
It was curious to observe the interest that was taken in the process
by the inhabitants of Aliu Amba, nearly all of whom visited me during
the three or four days we were employed, and not a few insisted upon
helping us. Of these latter, Walderheros was especially jealous, as he
wished all the honour and glory as the actual manufacturer to devolve
upon himself, giving me only the credit of knowing how it should be
done, and of directing him. When the sugar had crystallized and assumed
the shape of the much-desired luxury, a new class of visitors then
came begging for a little as a medicine for their sick children, and
these became so numerous, and I could not well refuse their request,
that at last Walderheros, in despair, complained to Tinta, who had all
along been much interested in the success of the experiment, and who
immediately came, and advised me to put the sugar into his charge, if I
wished to save any for the Negoos.
Here I must observe, that although the very simple art of extracting
the sugar from the cane was unknown to the inhabitants generally of
Shoa, still a few visitors from Ankobar, and a messenger from the
Negoos, who had been sent to Aliu Amba on purpose to learn if the
rumour was true which had reached the palace, that I was engaged in
this manufacture, had seen Shoan sugar before. These assured me that
the French traveller, M. Rochet d’Hericourt, when he was in Shoa, had
made sugar for the Negoos, so that although I observed on this occasion
great ignorance of a simple but important art among the Shoans, still
I do not wish to be understood as claiming the honour of having first
introduced sugar-making into their country.
It was fortunate for me that I had thus turned my attention to subjects
likely to benefit the good people of Shoa, for as it so happened, in
the middle of the night, I was attacked with a paroxysm of fever so
violent that it quite disabled me for the rest of the next day, and
prevented me making any attempt to proceed to Ankobar. As, however, I
had sent word by the messenger of the Negoos that I was coming, and my
balderabah Tinta had arranged everything for our starting together by
sunrise, I considered that it would be as well to send my servant with
the sugar, and a verbal message to the Negoos, stating why I could not
attend myself in person. Tinta also considered, that circumstanced as
I was, it would be the best plan for me to adopt, and readily agreed
to accompany Walderheros, and explain my wishes respecting the house.
After a little conversation, we also fixed upon the one most likely to
suit me, and they then departed with the sugar, which I had packed up
for them in an old tin powder-canister.
They returned early in the afternoon attended by a long train of
Tinta’s servants, and three palace affaroitsh, bearing presents of
wheaten bread, honey, and a jar of preserved butter called “natta
kibbee,” the only kind that can be obtained in Shoa during the times of
the rains.
The reception of my balderabah and envoy, Walderheros, at the palace
had been most nattering, and my request for a house complied with
immediately by the gratified monarch, who also ordered one of the
affaroitsh to remain in Aliu Amba to see me comfortably settled in my
new quarters.
The next morning was a very busy one for Walderheros, as from my
illness everything had devolved upon him. He had first to arrange with
two surviving sisters of the late owner of the house, who came forward
to claim sundry articles of furniture that had remained in the house
after the death of their brother. In Shoa, when a man dies, leaving
no male heirs, the King takes all that he died possessed of; even the
widow and female children have no claim to anything but that which is
granted to them by the justice and compassion of the monarch. These
relations are, however, so far considered, that a small “memolagee”
only is expected, and they are then generally allowed to retain the
personal property of the deceased, but the landed estate is always
retained and granted to some other male servitor capable of bearing
arms. This concession, small as it is, does not extend to other ties
of kindred, for a person dying and leaving only sisters or brothers,
all kinds of property possessed by the deceased is seized by the
governor of the town in which he had resided, for the benefit of the
Negoos, and an account of all such intestate property is annually
drawn up by that officer. When a governor himself dies, before his
successor takes office, an inventory of every thing contained in a
large store house is made, and sometimes all the articles, generally
household furniture, are taken to be examined by the Negoos, who,
retaining the most valuable himself, returns the remainder to the
charge of the new governor. From these repositories are rewarded minor
meritorious acts, and sometimes the things are exposed to sale by a
kind of auction, and thus disposed of. It is not unusual for household
furniture and utensils, instead of being carried to the _gimjon bait_,
the King’s store house, the only public building found in the towns
and villages of Shoa, to be allowed to remain in the house to which
they have belonged, and in that case, the next holder upon whom the
King has conferred it, comes in for these conveniences. It was so in
my case, for I found that I had not only obtained possession of a
house, but found it ready furnished also. One little drawback from my
apparent good fortune was the circumstance that everything was in such
a dilapidated and rotten condition, that I was not surprised at the
governor not insisting upon such rubbish being taken to that general
repository, the “gimjon bait.” The fact is, the good people of Shoa
manage, as in every other country, to remedy by some conventional
subterfuge any political or social injustice; and here, where the
descent of property is diverted from its natural course by an arbitrary
custom, the evil is counteracted by the exchange, during illness,
of everything valuable in furniture or household utensils with near
relations, for the most worthless description of the same articles, so
that in case of death the Negoos gets a very sorry collection as the
heir-at-law to the deceased.
No sooner did Tinta proceed to the house to put Walderheros in
possession, than the two women, sisters of the late possessor, came
forward, and improving upon the general system, of making the exchange
of old worn out things for nearly new ones, they now appealed to a
cloud of witnesses, who took part with them, to testify that many of
the jars, baking pans, and instruments for clearing and spinning cotton
that were in the house, absolutely belonged to them, and which at
various times they had lent to their deceased brother. Tinta, to prove
his devotion to me, for being now considered to be in great favour
with the Negoos, my friendship was valuable, demurred to the claims of
the women; but Walderheros, who knew me a little better, put an end
to their vociferous claims, and recommending them to see me upon the
subject, said it would probably be all settled satisfactorily without a
complaint being made to the Negoos, which had been threatened by Tinta.
The market value of every thing that formed their claim did not
amount to half a dollar, but as the matter seemed to interest all
the inhabitants of the town, it must have been considered of some
importance in their eyes, so when they came to appeal to me, and I
fully understood, by the interpretation of some Arabs resident in Aliu
Amba, what it was that was required, I told the two women they had my
consent to take away whatever they chose, only to be quick about it,
so that on the morrow I might enter upon my new possession without any
more trouble.
_July 23d._--This morning, my house having been well swept and
dusted, I was summoned by Walderheros to come and superintend all
other arrangements myself. I managed to walk down from Miriam’s, and a
new large alga, or bedstead, had been sent from the King’s store for
my use. It was placed for the present in the garden, an ox skin, as
usual, being spread over it, so I had nothing to do but to throw myself
upon it, and as my boxes and cooking utensils were brought in, direct
Walderheros where to place them. Fortunately, no rain fell this day,
and my new neighbours, anxious to testify their happiness to have me
among them, kept thronging into the garden, amusing themselves also by
surveying the premises, suggesting repairs and improvements with the
most officious good feeling possible. As all the inhabitants around
were Mahomedans, several of my visitors sent to their houses for their
gourd shell water pipes, and placing large stones beneath them, took
up their several positions in a semicircle around the front of my bed.
Miriam, to whom I had given three dollars, pleasingly surprised at
receiving so much, seemed most anxious that I should be comfortably
settled in my new residence, her son helping Walderheros in arranging
everything properly, whilst she busied herself preparing coffee for my
numerous visitors.
I was tired and worn out by the time sunset sent them to their several
homes, and left me to move into the house, where I sat upon one of my
boxes until the alga had been forced into a narrow recess between the
double walls, and my bed reported by the indefatigable Walderheros to
be at length ready for me to retire to rest. The pretty wife of Sheik
Tigh had brought me some teff bread for supper, as she expected there
would be a deal too much for us to do on the first day of my removal,
not to feel obliged to any one taking the trouble of baking off our
hands. The “wort,” or cayenne soup being also prepared, after a light
Abyssinian supper, I slept better than I expected, or could have hoped
for.