My female visitors remaining after their lords and masters had gone to the market, with the usual industry characteristic of the women of Shoa, they sat down upon the floor, and chatting away, commenced spinning cotton; for I had made up my mind to have a cloth woven at home, from the first operation of cleaning the cotton, to the weaving of the last bit of _shumlah_, in the ornamented extremity of the tobe. Walderheros had entered into the spirit of my wish, and had already exchanged some grain, which we did not require, for a quantity of raw cotton, as it is taken from the pods of the plant; in which state it is full of seeds, and other substances, that have to be separated by a simple process of cleansing I shall describe in another place. He had now gone to market upon the same business, to purchase more of the raw material, the value of three ahmulahs, or about thirty pound weight of cotton, being considered as sufficient for a cloth about eight yards long, and one cubit broad. CHAPTER XXI. Spinning cotton.--Of police force of Shoa.--Mode of administering justice.--Priest lawyers.--Politics of Shoa.--French intrigues.-- Different kinds of cotton.--Process of cleaning it.--Instruments used.--Return from market. I lay watching the cotton-spinners some time, thinking upon the effect produced in the human form by occupation, as I noticed that the arms of the whole party were the most beautifully moulded I had ever seen. I could attribute this general characteristic of Abyssinian women, to no other cause than the action and exercise dependent upon spinning, which requires both arms to be in constant motion, without any heavy labour being imposed at the same time. The white fleecy cotton, reposing like a wreath of snow upon the bronze red skin of the hand and wrist, is gradually carried to its farthest extent one way, whilst drawing from it the long slender thread, the other hand conducts, in an opposite direction, the short thin reed tipped with a piece of ivory or horn that forms the reel, which spinning as it hangs, its effect upon the thread depends upon the slowness or quickness with which the cotton is drawn out. Continued gentle exercise in some light occupation, would lead to somewhat similar effects in forming a beautiful arm, and I recommend it to my countrywomen, whom I certainly thought of when I made the observation in Aliu Amba.