THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 129 



der the command of a Turkifli baflia, and garrifoned by 

 Turkifh troops fent thither from Conftantinople by the em- 

 perors Sehm and Sohman, his fucceflbrs. 



The peaceable Arabian merchants, full of that good 

 faith which fuccefsful commerce infpires, fled everywhere 

 from the violence and injuftice of thefe Turkifli tyrants, 

 and landed in fafety their riches and perfons on the oppo- 

 fite fliore of the kingdom of Adel. The trade from India, 

 flying from the fame enemy, took refuge in Adel among 

 its own correfpondents, the Moorifli merchants, during the 

 violent and impolitic tyranny that everywhere took place 

 under this Turkifli opprcflion. 



Zeyla is a fmall ifland, on the very coafl of Adel, oppo- 

 flte to Arabia Felix without the Straits of Babclmandcb, up- 

 on the entrance of the Indian Ocean. The Turks of Ara- 

 bia, though they were blind to the caufc, were fenflble of 

 the great influx of trade into the oppofite kingdom. They 

 took poflTeflion, therefore, of Zeyla, where they eftabUflied 

 what they called a Cuftomhoufc, and by means of that pofl, 

 and gallies cruillng in the narrow Straits, they laid the In- 

 dian trade to Adel under heavy contributions, that miglit, 

 in fome mcafure, indemnify them for the great defertion 

 their violence and injuflice had occafioncd in Arabia. 



This flep threatened the very exiftencc both of Adel and 

 Abyflinia ; and confidering the vigorous government of the 

 one, and the weak politics and prejudices of the other, it is 

 more than probable the Turks would have fubdued both 

 Adel and Abylfinia, had they not, in India their chief objed:, 

 met the Portugucfc, ilrongly eflabliflicd, and governed 



Vol. II. R by 



