THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 527 



*. coming and going wherever they will freely for their 

 •* own advantage, whether they are our fubjects or French- 

 " men, and whatever you fliall do to or for them, we mall 

 " regard as done to or for ourfelves." 



(d* The addrefs is — " To the bafha, princes, and lords 

 " governing the town of great Cairo, may God favour 

 " them with his goodnefs." 



There are feveral things very remarkable in this letter. 

 The king of Abyffinia values himfelf, and his predecefTorSj 

 upon never having molefled or troubled any of his neigh- 

 bours who were kings, nor borne any envy towards them. 

 We are not then to believe what we fee often in hiftory, 

 that there was frequent war between Sennaar and Abyffinia, 

 or that Sennaar was tributary to Abyffinia. That flripe of 

 country, inhabited by the Shangalla, would, in this cafe, 

 have been firfl conquered. But it is more probable, that 

 the great difference of climate which immediately takes 

 place between the two kingdoms, the great want of water 

 on the frontiers, barriers placed there by the hand of Na- 

 ture, have been the means of keeping thefe kingdoms from 

 having any mutual concerns ; and fo, indeed, we may guefs 

 by the utter filence of the books, which never mention any 

 war at Sennaar till the beginning of the reign of Socinios. 



I apprehend, that protecting diitinguiihed perfons upon 

 great occafions, alludes to the children of the king of Sen- 

 naar, who frequently fly after the death of their father to 

 Abyffinia * for protection, it being the cuflom of that Hate 



to 



* Abdekader, Ton of O unfa, retired hers-. 



