52 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



" to govern Adel, do not, by to-morrow evening, furrender 

 " themfelves to me at my tent-door, as you have done, I will 

 " lay the province of Adel wafte, from the place where I 

 " now fit, to the borders of the ocean.'* 



This unpromifing interview with the king was faithfully/ 

 communicated by the young princes to their mother, ear- 

 neflly defiring her to trull the king's mercy, and to throw 

 herfelf at his feet the next morning without referve. But 

 thofe who had been the perfuaders of the war (for the 

 late king of Adel was but a weak prince) reckoned them- 

 felves in much greater danger with Amda Sion than was 

 the royal family. They, therefore, agreed to try their for- 

 tune again in battle, binding themfelves to live and die with 

 each other,, by mutual oaths and promifes. They alfo fens 

 to the princes this refolution, by an old enemy of Amda 

 Sion, perfuading them to make their efcape as foon as pof- 

 fible, and come and head their forces that were then raifed, 

 and ready to conquer or die together, when the family 

 fliould be out of the enemy's, hands.. 



The king, well informed of what had palTed, decamped 

 immediately from the ftation where he was, exceedingly 

 irritated; and, having paned the great river called Aco, he 

 took poll in the town of Marmagab ; and the next day, di- 

 viding his army, he fent two bodies by different routes into 

 the enemy's territories, with a flricT: command to leave no- 

 thing undeflroyed that had the breath of life ; he himfelf, 

 with the third divifion, burning and laying wafte the whole 

 country before him, proceeded flraight to the place where 

 he heard the chiefs of Adel were affembling an army. 

 There he found fome troops, moflly infantry, who kept a 



