460 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER : 
this brutifh people, that the king afcends his throne under 
an admiffion that he may be lawfully put to death by his own 
fubjects or flaves, upon a council being held by the great of . 
ficers, if they decree that it is not for the advantage of the 
ftate that he be fuffered to reign any longer. There is one 
officer of his own family, who, alone, can be the inftrument 
of fhedding his fovereign and-kinfman’s blood. This of- 
- ficer is called, Sid el Coom, mafter of the king’s houfehold, 
or fervants, but has no vote in depofing him; nor is any 
guilt imputed to him, however many of his fovereigns he 
thus regularly murders. Achmet Sid el Coom, the prefent 
licenfed parricide, and refident in Ifmain’s palace, had mur- 
dered the late king Naffer, and two. of his fons that were 
well grown, befides a child at his mother’s breaft; and he 
was expecting every day to confer the fame favour upon 
main; though at prefent there was no malice on the one 
part nor jealoufy on the other, and I believe both of them: 
had a guefs of what was likely to happen. It was this Ach- 
met, who was very. much my friend, that gave me a lift of 
the kings that had reigned, how long their reign lafted, 
and whether they died a natural death, or were depofed and 
murdered. : 
THis extraordinary officer was one of the very few thar 
fhewed me any attention or civility at Sennaar. He had 
been violently tormented with the gravel, but had found 
much eafe from the ufe of foap-pills that | had given hin, 
and this had produced, on his part, no {mall degree of gra- 
titude and friendfhip ; he was alfo fubject to the epilepfy, 
but this he was perfuaded was witchcraft, from the machi- 
nations of an enemy who refided far eff. 1 of ren ftaid at 
