2. 7 6 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



and Metical Aga appointed Michael, governor of Tigre, re- 

 ceiver of his rents. The Naybe no fooner found that 

 he was to account to Michael, than he was glad to pay 

 his tribute, and give prefents to the bargain ; for Tigre was 

 the province from which he drew his fuftenance, and Mi- 

 chael could have over-run his whole territory in eight days, 

 which once, as we fhall fee hereafter, belonged to Abyffi* 

 nia. Metical's power being then univerfally acknowledg- 

 ed and known, the next thing was to get him to make ufe 

 of it in my favour. 



We knew of how little avail the ordinary futile recom- 

 mendations of letters were. We were veteran travellers, 

 and knew the ftyle of the Eaft too well, to be duped by let- 

 ters of mere civility. There is no people on the earth more 

 perfectly polite in their correfpondence with one another, 

 than are thofe of the Eafl ; but their civility means little 

 more than the fame fort of expreffions do in Europe, to 

 fhew you that the writer is a well-bred man. But this 

 would by no means do in a journey fo long, fo dangerous, 

 and fo ferious as mine,. 



We, therefore, fet about procuring effective letters, 

 letters of bulinefs and engagement, between man and 

 man ; and we all endeavoured to make Metical Aga a very 

 good man, but no great head-piece, comprehend this per- 

 fectly. My letters from Ali Bey opened the affair to him-, 

 and firft commanded his attention. A very handfome pre* 

 fent of piftols, which I brought him, inclined him in my 

 favour, becaufe, as I was bearer of letters from his fuperiorj 

 X might have declined beflowing any prefent upon him. 



