4 6S TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



matician. He feems indeed to me to have been a copy of 

 the famous Peter Paez, who firft gave an appearance of {la- 

 bility to the Portuguefe converfion of Abyffinia ; like him 

 he was a Jefuit, but of a better nation, and born in a better 

 age. 



I must here likewife take notice of what I have already 

 hinted, that in Abyffinia the character of ambaflador is not 

 known. They have no treaties of peace or commerce with 

 any nation in the world: But, for purpofes already men- 

 tioned, factors are employed; and, Abyffinia being every- 

 where furrounded by Mahometans, thefe of courfe have the 

 preference ; and, as they carry letters from their matters, the 

 cuflom of the Eaft obliges them to accompany thefe with, 

 prefents to the fovereigns of the refpective kingdoms 

 through which they pafs, and this circumflance dignifies 

 them with the title of ambaflador in the feveral courts at 

 which they have bufmefs. Such was Mufa, a factor of the 

 king, whom we have feen detained, and afterwards deliver- 

 ed by the Naybe of Mafuah, not many years before, in this 

 king's reign ; and fuch alfo was Hagi Ali, then upon his 

 mailer's bufinefs at Cairo, when M. de Maillet was conful 

 there, and had received his inftructions from father Fleuriau 

 at Paris, to bring about this embafTy from Abyffinia.. 



Besides his other bufinefs, Hagi Ali had orders to bring 

 with him a phyfician, if poffible, from Cairof; |for Yafous 

 and his eldeft fon were both of a fcorbutic habit, which 

 threatened to turn into a leprofy. Hagi Ali, in former 

 voyages, had been acquainted with a capuchin friar Pafchal ; 

 and, having received medicines from him before, he now 

 applied to Pafchal to return with him. into Abyffinia, 



and 



