82 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



But, to prevent furprife upon this laft movement of the 

 troops, the king of Adel thought he had a right to be in- 

 formed of Bseda Mariam's intentions, and, with this view, 

 he fent fome of the principal people of his country as am- 

 bafladors, under pretext of congratulating the king upon 

 his acceffion to the throne. They met the king in Shoa, 

 and had carried with them very confiderable prefents. They 

 were received in a very diftinguifhed manner; and the pre- 

 fents which Bseda Mariam returned to the king of Adel 

 were nothing inferior to thofe he accepted. After having 

 entertained the ambafladors feveral days with feafting and 

 diverfions, he confirmed a peace under the fame duties upon 

 trade that had formerly fubfifted, 



The king of Dancali alfo, old, infirm, yet conftant in his 

 attachment to the Abymnians, was not without his in- 

 quietudes, though he was not afraid they intended to at- 

 tack his poor territory with an army. He dreaded left the 

 army in its march mould drink up that little quantity of 

 water which remained to him in fummer, and, without 

 which, his kingdom would become uninhabited. It is a 

 low, fandy diftridt, lying on the Red Sea, juft where the coaft, 

 after bearing a little to the eaft of north from Suez to Dan- 

 cali, makes an elbow, and ftretches nearly eaft, as far as 

 the Straits of Babelmandeb. It has the mines of foftile- 

 falt immediately on the north and north-weft, a defert part 

 of the province of Dawaro to the fouth, and the fea on the 

 north. But it has no port, excepting a fpacious bay, with 

 tolerable anchorage, called the Bay of Bilur^^ in lat. 13° 3', 



and, 



* Bilur, in the language of Samhar, Sgriijfies fojfik fait ; if it is coloured with any mineral, 

 fo as to be either red or green ? it is, in this latter cafe, applied often, to emeralds, and greein., 

 jro,ek cryftaL 



