x6 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
of the world, this little fea would be too narrow for their 
fhips: Your fun, now fo hot, would be darkened by their 
fails; and when they fired their terrible wide-mouthed can- 
non, not an Arab would think himfelf fafe on the diftant — 
mountains, while the houfes on the {hore would totter and 
fall to the ground as if fhaken to pieces by an earthquake. 
I am a-fervant to that king, and an inferior onein rank; 
only worthy of his attention from my affection to him 
and his family, in which I do not acknowledge any fupe- 
rior. Yet fo far your correfpondents fay well: My anceftors 
were the kings of the ceuntry in which I was ‘born, and to 
be ranked among the greateft and moft glorious that ever 
bore the crown and title of King. This is the truth, and 
nothing but the truth. I may now, I hope, without offence, 
afk, To what does all this information tend ?” 
“ To your fafety,’ faid he, “and to your honour, as 
long as I command in Mafuah ;—to your certain death and 
deftruction if you go among the Abyflinians; a people with- 
out faith, covetous, barbarous, and in continual war, of 
which nobody yet has been able to difcover the reafon. 
But of this another time.” 
“ Be it fo,” faid I. ‘I would now fpeak one word in fe- 
cret to you, (upon which every body was ordered out of the 
room): All that you have told me this evening I already 
know; afk me not how: but, to convince you that it is 
truth, Inow thank you for the humane part you took a- 
gainft thefe bloody intentions others had of killing and 
plundering me on my arrival, upon Abdelcader governor 
of Dahalac’s information that I was a prince, becaufe of the 
| . honour 
