& TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
fes of this kind, the ftranger merchants had many of them 
fied to Arabia, and others to Dobarwa *, a large town in the 
territories of the Baharnagafh. Notwithftanding this, the 
Naybe had not {hewn any public mark of fear, nor fent one 
penny either to the king of Aby/ffinia or the bafha of 
Jidda. 
Ow the other hand, the bafha was not indifferent to his 
own intereft; and, to bring about the payment, he had 
made an agreement with an officer of great credit with the 
Sherriffe of Mecca. This man was originally an Abyflinian 
flave, his name Metical Aga, who by his addrefs had raifed 
himfelf to the poft of Selictar, or /word-bearer, to the Sher- 
riffe; and, in fact, he was abfolute in all his dominions. 
He was, moreover, a great friend of Michael governor of 
Tigre, and had fupplied him with large ftores of arms 
and ammunition for his laft campaign againft the king at 
Gondar. 
Tue bafha had employed Metical Aga to inform Mi- 
chael of the treatment he had received from the Naybe, de- 
firing his afliftance to force him to pay the tribute, and at . 
the fame time intimated to the Naybe, that he not only had 
done fo, but the very next year would give orders through- 
out Arabia to arreft the goods and perfons of fuch Maho- 
smetan merchants as fhould come to Arabia, either from 
motives of religion or trade. With this meflage he had 
fent the firman from Conftantinople, defiring the return 
‘both of tribute and prefents. | 
Mano- 
on eee 
* Suppofed from its name to hays been formerly the capital of the Dobas. 
