THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 129 



der the command of a Turkifh bafha, and garrifoned by 

 Turkifli troops fent thither from Conftantinople by the em- 

 perors Selim and Soliman, his fucceflbrs. 



The peaceable Arabian merchants, full of that good 

 faith which fuccefsful commerce infpires, fled everywhere 

 from the violence and injuflice of thefe Turkifh tyrants, 

 and landed in fafety their riches and perfons on the oppo- 

 lite more of the kingdom of Adel. The trade from India* 

 flying from the fame enemy, took refuge in Adel among 

 its own correfpondents, the Moorifh merchants, during the 

 violent and impolitic tyranny that everywhere took place 

 under this Turkifh opprefiion. 



Zeyla is a fmall ifland, on the very Coaft of Adel, oppo- 

 lite to Arabia Felix without the Straits of Babelmandeb, up- 

 on the entrance of the Indian Ocean. The Turks of Ara- 

 bia, though they were blind to the caufe, were fenfible of 

 the great influx of trade into the oppofite kingdom. They 

 took pofTeflion, therefore, of Zeyla, where they eflablifhed 

 what they called a Cuftomhoufe, and by means of that poll, 

 and gallies cruifmg irr the narrow Straits, they laid the In- 

 dian trade to Adel under heavy contributions, that might, 

 in fome meafure, indemnify them for the great defertion 

 their violence and injuflice had occafioned in Arabia. 



This flep threatened the very exiflence both of Adel and 

 Abyflinia ; and considering the vigorous government of the 

 one, and the weak politics and prejudices of the other, it is 

 more than probable the Turks would have fubdued both 

 Adel and Abyflinia, had they not, in India their chief object, 

 met the Portuguefe, flrongly eflablifhed, arfd governed 



Vol. II. R by 



