582 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



of a fadl:, gives me a title to do ; but iliall firft produce the 

 letter of Elias Enoch, upon which I found my judgment. 



Translation of an Arabic Letter wrote to M. de Maillet. 



" After having afTured M. de Maillet, the conful, of my 



" refpedts, and of the continuation of my prayers for his 



" health, as being a gentleman venerable for his merits, 



" diftinguiflied by his knowledge and great penetration, 



** of a noble birth, always beneficent, and addicted to pious 



** a<n;ions, (may God preferve his life to that degree of ho- 



" nour due to fo refpedtable a perfon), I now write you from 



" the town of Mocha. I left Abyflinia in the year 1718, and 



" came to this town of Mocha in extreme poverty, or ra- 



*' ther abfolutely deftitute. God has affifted me : I give 



" praife to him for his bounty, and always remain much o- 



" bliged to you. What follows is all that I can inform you 



" as touching the news of Abyflinia. King Yafous is long 



" fmcc dead: his fon, Tecla Haimanout, having feized upon 



*' the kingdom by force, caufed his father to be afl"aflinated. 



*' This king Yafous, having given me leave to go to Sennaar, 



" furniflicd me with a letter addrefled to the king there, in 



" which he defired him to put no obflacles in the way of 



" du Roule the French ambaffador's journey, but to fuffer 



" him to enter Ethiopia. He alfo gave me another letter 



"*' addreflcd to the ballia and officers of Grand Cairo ; and 



*' another letter to the ambaffador himfelf, by which he fig- 



" nified to him that he might enter into Ethiopia without 



" fear. Accordingly I had departed with thefe letters forSen- 



•* naar; but king Tecla Haimanout, fon of king Yafous, ha- 



** ving taken poflellion of the kingdom while I was yet in 



" Abyflinia, 



