366 |. TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
ners and difcourfe feenied refolved to withdraw himfelf 
from his duty tothe king: That Shekh Adelan, his young-. 
er brother, with the remaining troops, had left Sennaar, 
and was encamped at Aira, afew miles from the town, where 
he too governed defpotically by his own will; it being the. ' 
prerogative of the minifter to have abfolute power as foon’ 
as he has left the capital, and put himfelf at the head of — 
the army, for levying the tax from the Arabs; but that he had 
parted with the king on terms very little fhort of rebellion. 
He then faid, “ Since this is the cafe, that Providence has ~ 
thrown your lot here, that you cannot go forward to Sen- 
naar, nor back to Abyflinia, if you will refolve to flay with 
me, and turn Mahometan, which is the only true religion, — 
I will give you my daughter for your wife, and you fhall_ 
be fecond man in the government of Teawa’; and as my 
intention 1s to go next year to Mecca, you fhall then be 
appointed to the government of Atbara, while I go to Sen- 
maar, and procure an office fitter for an old man.” 
Attuoucu I feldom, in my life, was lefs inclined to mer« 
riment, I affected to break out into a loud fit of laughter; 
at which he looked grave, feeming to take it ill, and afking 
me if I laughed at him? “Exactly fo, faid 1, at you; I was 
laughing to think that a man fet overa province to govern 
it, like you, fhould yet know fo little of mankind as to ima- 
gine one like me capable of turning renegado. You may 
deny it for fome purpofe of your own, but I know you are 
well informed of the degree of favourand honour in which 
I was whilft in Abyflinia, where I had every thing that I 
defired. They were people of my religion, and yet I never 
could confent either toftay with them or marry among them. . 
What then could be my inducement to marry here, to 
2 | change 
“ 
