520 TRAVELS TO DISCO VEU 



The firft thing I remark upon this letter is, the mention 

 of the ancient peace and friendfliip which fubfifted between 

 the predeceiTors of thefe two princes now correfponding. 

 It was a friendship, he fays, that had endured from the time 

 of the king of Sedgid, and the king of Kim y to the prefent 

 day. 



The kingdom of Sennaar, as we mall fee, was but a mo^ 

 dern one, and recently eftablifhed by conqueft over the A- 

 rabs. Therefore the kingdoms of .Sedgid and of Kim were* 

 before that conqueft, places whence this black nation came 

 that had eftablifhed their fovereignty at Sennaar by con- 

 queft : from which, therefore, I again infer, there never 

 was any war, conqueft, or tribute between Abymnia and 

 that ftate. 



The Arabs, who fed their flocks near the frontiers of the 

 two countries, were often plundered by the kings of Abyf- 

 iinia making defcents into Atbara; but this was never 

 reckoned a violation of peace between the two fovereigns. 

 On the contrary, as the motive of the Arabs, for coming 

 fouth into the frontiers of Abymnia, was to keep themfelves 

 independent, and out of the reach of Sennaar, when th king 

 of Abymnia fell upon them there, he was underftood to do 

 that monarch fervice, by driving them down farther with- 

 in his reach. The Baharnagafh has been always at war with 

 them ; they are tributary to him for eating his grafs and 

 drinking his water, and nothing that he ever does to them 

 gives any trouble or inquietude to Sennaar. It is interpre- 

 ted as maintaining his ancient dominion over the Shepherds, 

 thofe of Sennaar being a new power, and accounted as u- 

 £urpers. 



2 M.DE 



