524 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



Arabia forced all thofe that yet remained to take refuge on 

 the African fide, in the little diftricts which now grew into 

 confideration. Adel, Mara, Hadea, AufTa, Wypo, Tarfhiih, 

 and a number of other ftates, now aflumed the name of 

 kingdoms, and foon obtained power and wealth fuperior to 

 many older ones. 



The Governor of Yemen (or Najami) converted now to 

 the faith of Mahomet, retired to the African fide of the 

 Gulf. His government, long ago, having been fhaken to 

 the very foundation by the Arabian war, was at laft totally 

 deflroyed. But the Indian trade at Adel wore a face of 

 profperity, that had the features of ancient times. 



Without taking notice of every objection, and anfwer- 

 ing it, which has too polemical an appearance for a work 

 of this kind, I hope I have removed the greateft part of the 

 reader's difficulties, which have, for a long time, lain in the 

 way, towards his underltanding this part of the hiitory. 

 There is one, however, remains, which the Arabian hiflori- 

 ans have mentioned, viz. that this Najalhi, who embraced 

 the faith of Mahomet, was avowedly of the royal family of 

 Abyffinia. To this I anfwer, he certainly was a perfon of 

 that rank, and was undoubtedly a nobleman, as there is no 

 nobility in that country but from relationlhip to the king, 

 and no perfon can be related to the king by the male line. 

 But the females, even the daughters of thofe princes *vho 

 are banifhed to the mountain, marry whom they pleafe ; 

 and all the ■ defcenden-ts of that marriage become noble, be- 

 caufe they mull be allied to the king. So far then they may 

 truly affert, that the Mahometan Governor of Yemen, and 

 $us noilcrity, were this way related to the king of Abyifiniai 



But 



