i6o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



guefe, for whofe afliftance, he thought, he ilioiild have no 

 ufe. 



Selim, whofe firft objeft was the conqueft of India, had 

 met there fo rude a reception that he began to defpair of 

 •further fuccefs in his undertaking; but, having conquered A- 

 rabia on one fide of the Red Sea, he was defirous of extending 

 his dominions to the other alfo, and for three reafons : The 

 iirft was, that the fafcty of the holy place of Mecca would 

 be much endangered fhould a Portuguefe army and fleet 

 rendezvous in AbyfTmia, and be joined by an army there. 

 The fecond, that his lliips and gallies could not be in fecu- 

 rity at the bottom of the Gulf, fliould the Portuguefe ob- 

 tain leave to fortify any illand or harbour belonging to the 

 Abylfinians. The third, that the king of Abyflinia being, 

 as he was taught to believe, the prince whom the prophet 

 Mahomet had honoured with his correfpondence,he thought 

 it a duty incumbent upon him to convert this prince and 

 kingdom to the Mahometan religion by the fword, a 

 method allowable in no religion but that of Mahomet and 

 of Rome. 



The ancient and feeble arms of lances and bows, carried 

 by half-naked peafants aflembled in halle and at random 

 for an occafion, were now laid afide. In place of thefe, Se- 

 lim had left garrifons of veteran troops in all the fea-coaft 

 towns of Arabia, exercifed in fire-arms, and furnifhed with 

 large trains of artillery, fupported by a large fleet which, 

 though deftined againft the Portuguefe in India, and con- 

 ftantly beat by them, never failed, both going and coming, 

 to reinforce their pofts in Arabia with ftores and frefh fol- 

 diers. , 



.3 The 



