6 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



fes of this kind, the ftranger merchants had many of them 

 fled to Arabia, and others to Dobarwa *, a large town in the 

 territories of the Baharnagafh. Notwithllanding this, the 

 Naybe had not fhewn any public mark of fear, nor fent one 

 penny either to the king of Abyflmia or the bailia of 

 Jidda. 



On the other hand, the bafha was not indifferent to his 

 own intereft ; and, to bring about the payment, he had 

 made an agreement with an officer of great credit with the 

 Sherriffe of Mecca. This man was originally an Abyilinian 

 flave, his name Metical Aga, who by his addrefs had railed 

 himfelf to the poll of Selictar, or fword-bcarcr, to the Sher- 

 riffe ; and, in fact, he was abfolute in all his dominions. 

 He was, moreover, a great friend of Michael governor of 

 Tigre, and had fupplied him with large flores of arms 

 and ammunition for his laft campaign againlt the king at 

 Gondar. 



The bafha had employed Metical Aga to inform Mi- 

 chael of the treatment he had received from the Naybe, de- 

 firing his amflance to force him to pay the tribute, and at 

 the fame time intimated to the Naybe, that he not only had 

 done fo, but the very next year would give orders through- 

 out Arabia to arreft the goods and perfons of fuch Maho- 

 metan merchants as fhould come to Arabia, either from 

 motives of religion or trade. With this menage he had 

 fent the firman from Conflantinople, defiring the return 

 both of tribute and prefents. 



Maho- 



* Suppofed from its name to have been formerly the capital of the Dobas, 



