9 6 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



TheNaybe had now no longer a naval force tofupport him, 

 and the fear of Turkifh conqueft had ceafed in Tigre. The 

 Naybe could be reduced within any bounds that the gover- 

 nor of Tigre might pleafe to prefcribe him ; and the Bahar- 

 nagafli was a fervant maintained to watch over him, and 

 flarve him into obedience, by intercepting his provifions 

 whenever the governor of Tigre commanded him. 



This nobleman paid me a vilit in my tent, and was the 

 firft Abyllinian I had feen on horfeback ; he had feven 

 attendant horfemen with him, and about a dozen of others 

 on foot, all of a beggarly appearance, and very ill-armed 

 and equipped. He was a little man, of an olive complex- 

 ion, or rather darker ; his head was fhaved clofe, with a 

 cowl, or covering, upon it ; he had a pair of fhort troufers ; 

 his feet and legs were bare ; the ufual coarfe girdle was 

 wrapt feveral times about him, in which he {tuck his knife; 

 and the ordinary web of cotton cloth, neither new nor clean, 

 was thrown about him. His parts feemed to be much upon 

 the level with his appearance. He afkedme, if I had ever feen 

 horfes before ? I faid, Very feldom. He then defcribed their 

 qualities in fuch a manner as would never have given 

 me any idea of the animal if I had feen it feldom. He ex- 

 cufed himfelf for not having fent us provifions, becaufe he 

 had been upon an expedition againft fome rebellious villa- 

 ges, and was then only juft returned. 



To judge by his prefent appearance, he was no very re- 

 fpeetable perfonage ; but in this I was miftaken, as I after- 

 wards found. I gave him a prefent in proportion to the 

 firil idea, with which he feemed very well content, till he 

 observed a number of fire-arms tied up to the pillar in the 



i middle 



