^66 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



ners and difcourfe feemed refolved to withdraw himfelf 

 from his duty to the king: That Shekh Adclan, his young- 

 er brother, with the remaining troops, had left Sennaar, 

 and was encamped at Aira, a few miles from the town, v/here 

 he too governed defpotically by his own v/ill ; it being the 

 prerogative of the minifter to have abfolutc power as foon 

 as he has left the capital, and put himfelf at the head of 

 the army, for levying the tax from the Arabs ; but that he had 

 parted v/ith the king on terms very little fhort of rebellion. 

 He then faid, " Since this is the cafe, that Providence has 

 thrownyour lot here, that you cannot go forward to Sen- 

 naar, nor back to Abyffinia, if you will refolve to ftay with 

 me, and turn Mahometan, which is the only true religion, 

 I will give you my daughter for your wife, and you fliall 

 be fecond man in the government of Teawa ; and as my 

 intention is to go next year to Mecca, you fliall then be 

 appointed to the government of iVtbara, Vvhile I go to Sen- 

 naar, and procure an office fitter for an old man," 



Although I feldcm, in my life, was lefs inclined to mer- 

 riment, I aifeded to break out into a loud fit of laughter; 

 at which he looked grave, feeraing to take it ill, and aflcing 

 me if I laughed at huii ? " Exactly fo, laid I, at you ; I vras 

 laughing to think that a man fet over a province to govern 

 it, like you, fhould yet knowfo little cf mankind as to ima- 

 gine, one like me capable of turning renegado. You may 

 deny it for forae purpofe of your own, but 1 know you are 

 well informed of the degree of favour and honour in which 

 I was whilft in Abyffinia, where I had every thing that. I 

 dcfired. They were people of my religion, and yet I never 

 could confcnteithertofc?y w'ththem or marry among them. 

 What then could be my inducement to marry here, to 

 3 ^ change 



