No people are more troublesome than the Abyssinians in inspecting the money, whether salt-pieces or dollars, that pass through their hands; the former are turned over, spanned, balanced doubtingly in the hand for several minutes before the final determination is taken. The worst is, that the vendors generally insist upon choosing, or at least beg to be permitted to do so as a great favour, out of the whole lot, that may happen to be in the possession of the party from whom they are receiving them; the time so occupied being sometimes provokingly long. At length the single ahmulah is fixed upon, a last hurried look over the remaining pile as they lie displayed upon the floor is taken, then a glance at the chosen one in the hand, and with such an effort, as if the party felt convinced that he had taken the least; he at last reluctantly tears himself away from the fascinating examination of their relative value. Dollars, again, are first well scrubbed with the fingers, then spit upon, followed by a good rub in the hair, and very probably, after all, the coin is handed back with a sagacious shake of the head, as much as to say, “I am not going to be done in that way,” but seldom a word passes between the parties. A salt banker at length being found who is content to take the chance of the dollar being a counterfeit, a good deal of higgling then takes place whether nineteen or twenty ahmulahs shall be given, but supposing the dollar is declared to be of the first order, the broker in that case generally gives way, and the full value is obtained. It not unfrequently happens, either from carelessness or atmospherical causes, that the ahmulahs become very cellular and light. In that case the holes are stopped up with a paste of meal and fine salt dust, but the ahmulah so adulterated is generally rejected at once when offered, or a very considerable reduction is made in its value when any article is purchased. When by any accident the salt-pieces are broken, they are receivable only as common salt, although sometimes, if but into two pieces, these are bound round with a piece of very pliant tough bark called “_lit_,” and at a diminished value still circulate. Besides ahmulahs the Shoan markets are supplied with a rough broken salt in thin broad pieces, of no use but for culinary purposes, by the Dankalli, who bring it to Dinnomalee from the Bahr Assal, or salt lake, near Tajourah. This kind of salt is of less value than the ahmulah, and is only employed as barter, and the solid money-piece will command weight for weight, one half as much more of the Adal salt; so that the Shoans submit to a loss of just fifty per cent. of material for the convenience of their clumsy currency.