52 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



" to govern Adel, do not, by to-morrow evening, furrender. 

 " themfelves to me at my tent-door, as you have done, I will 

 '• lay the province of Adel wafte, from the place M^here I 

 ^' now fit, to the borders of the ocean." 



This unpromifing intei-view with the king was faithfully 

 communicated by the young princes to their mother, ear- 

 neftly defiring her to truft the king's mercy, and to throw 

 herfelf at his feet the next morning without referve. But 

 thofe who had been the perfuaders of the war (for the 

 late king of Adel was but a weak prince) reckoned them- 

 felves in much greater danger with Amda Sion than was 

 the royal family. They, therefore, agreed to try their for- 

 tune again in battle, binding themfelves to live and die with 

 each other, by mutual oaths and promifes. They alfo fent 

 to the princes this refolution, by an old enemy of Amda 

 5ion, perfuading them to make their efcape as foon as pof- 

 lible, and come and head their forces that were then raifed, 

 and ready to conquer or die together, when the family 

 ■^hould be out of the enemy's hands. 



TiiE king, well informed of what had paiTed, decamped 

 icmniediately from the flation where he was, exceedingly 

 irritated ; and, having paffed the great river called Aco, he 

 took poil in the town of iMarmagab ; and the next day, di- 

 viding his army, he fent two bodies by different routes into 

 the enemy's territories, with a llridt command to leave no- 

 thing undeftroyed that had the breath of life ; he himlelf, 

 with the tliird divifion, burning and laying wade the whole 

 qountry before him, proceeded Itraight to the place where' 

 lie -hpai^d the chiefs of Adel were affembling an army. 

 There he found fome troops, moilly infantry, who kept a* 



QfOO di 



