7 2 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



went to the houfe of the delinquent, where he firft refrenV 

 ed himfclf and his attendants, then ordered thofe of the. 

 houfe he came for, and all that were with them, to be exe- 

 cuted in his pre fence.. 



Among thofe that fuflfered were the king's two fons-in— 

 law, married to his daughters Medchan Zamidu, and Beiv 

 ban Zamidu, having been accufed by their wives, the one 

 of adultery, the other of inceft: they were both put to death, 

 in their own houfes, in, a very private and fufpkiaus man^ 

 ner. This execution being afterwards declared by the king 

 in anaifernbly of the clergy and -Hates-, certain prieib, or o- 

 thers, from Jerusalem, in public, condemned this procedure 

 of the king, as contrary to law, found policy, and the firil 

 principles of juftice, which feems to have had fuch an effect 

 that we hear no more of thefe periecutions, nor of Amda: 

 Sion the perfecutor, during the whole of this reign. 



The king now turned his. thoughts upon a nobler object;, 

 which was that of dividing his country into feparaie go- 

 vernments, affigning to each the tax it mould pay, at what* 

 time, and m what manner, according to the notation and 

 capacity of each province. The profperity of the Moorifh.- 

 Hates, from the exfenfive trade conftantly carried on there, 

 the bad ufe they made of their riches by employing them 

 in continual rebellions, made it necefTary that the king- 

 flbould fee and inquire into each perion's circumftanees, 

 which he propofed to do, as was ufual, before the time of 

 their feveral inveftitures. 



The chief of the rich diftricl of Gadai, was the firfl call- 

 ed on by the king, as it is -on this, occafion that confiderable 



prefects 



