5»s TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



of a fact, gives me a title to do ; but fhall firft produce the 

 letter of Elias Enoch, upon which I found my judgment. 



Translation of an Arabic Letter wrote to M. de Maillet. 



" After having aflured M. de Maillet, the conful, of my 



" refpects, and of the continuation of my prayers for his 



u health, as being a gentleman venerable for his merits, 



" diftinguilhed by his knowledge and great penetration, 



" of a noble birth, always beneficent, and addicted to pious 



** actions, (may God preferve his life to that degree of ho- 



" nour due to fo refpectable a perfon), I now write you from 



" the town of Mocha. I left Abyflinia in the year 1 7 1 8, and 



" came to this town of Mocha in extreme poverty, or ra~ 



" ther abfolutely deftitute. God has aflifled me : I give 



" praife to him for his bounty, and always remain much o- 



" bliged to you. What follows is all that I can inform you 



" as touching the news of Abyiunia. King Yafous is long 



** fince dead: his fon, Tecla HaimanoUt, having feized upon 



" the kingdom by force, caufed his father to be aflaflinated. 



" This king Yafous, having given me leave to go to Sennaar, 



" furnifhed me with a letter addrefifed to the king there, in 



" which he defired him to put no obfiacles in the way of 



" du Roule the French ambaffador's journey, but to fuffer 



" him to enter Ethiopia. He alfo gave me another letter 



" addrefled to the bama and officers of Grand Cairo ; and 



*' another letter to the ambaflador himfelf, by which he fig- 



" nified to him that he might enter into Ethiopia without 



" fear* Accordingly I had departed with thefe letters for Sen- 



" naar; but king Tecla Haimanout, fon of king Yafous, ha- 



M ving taken poneflion of the kingdom while I was yet in 



" Abyflinia, 



