THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 49 



The three children of the king of Adel, and his brother, 

 who had all been in the engagement, feeing the great in- 

 feriority of their troops, and terrified at the approaching 

 fate of their country, loading themfelves with the molt va- 

 luable of their effects, (which, in token of humility, they 

 carried upon their heads, moulders, and in their hands,) came 

 with thefe prefents before the king, who was fitting armed at 

 the door of his tent, and, without further apology, or afhi- 

 rance given, threw themfelves, as is the cuftom of Abyf- 

 finia, at his feet, with their foreheads in the dull, intreat- 

 ing pardon for what had hitherto been done amifs ; fubmit- 

 ing to him as his fubjecls, profeiling their readinefs to obey 

 all his commands, provided only that he would proceed no 

 further, nor wafte and deflroy their country, but fpare what 

 flill remained, which was, for the moll part, the property of 

 Arabian merchants who had done him no injury. 



But the king feemed little difpofed to credit thefe afTu- 

 rances. He told them plainly, " That they, and all Ethiopia, 

 " knew the time was when they were under his dominion, 

 " paid him the fame tribute, and owed him the fame alle- 

 " giance with the reft of his fubje&s ; that neither he, nor 

 " his predecefibrs, at that time, had ever oppreffed them, 

 " but returned them prefent for prefent, gold for gold, ap- 

 " parel for apparel, and difmifled them contentedly home 

 " whenever they came to pay their duty to them : That lately, 

 " from fuppofed weaknefs in him, when he was young in 

 " the beginning of his reign, and encouraged by the great 

 " addition of their brethren, who nocked to them from A- 

 " rabia, they had, without provocation, thrown off their al- 

 " legiance to him, upbraiding him as a eunuch, fit only to 

 " take care of the women of their feraglio, with many fuch 

 Vol. II. G « taunting 



