TRAVELS IN ABYSSINIA. 
87 
roughly of their situation, immediately began by 
unveiling, without reserve, all the charms which na- 
ture had bestowed upon them. These appeared to 
our traveller so exceedingly small, as to be inca- 
pable of exciting a single idea, which could give 
offence to the royal husband ; yet he did not the 
less tremble for the consequence, should he be dis- 
covered by that monarch in such a situation. 
Sennaar is a very populous town, and the houses, 
though only of clay, are well built, according to the 
fashion of the country. Since Poncet visited it, some 
have been built of two stories. It is raised barely 
to such a height above the river, as to prevent the 
danger of being overflowed. The soil of the dis- 
trict immediately adjoining is fat and rich to an 
extraordinary degree, and produces vegetable food 
in the greatest abundance ; but no domestic ani- 
mals can live upon it. These can only be reared 
upon the sands, which begin at two miles distance 
from the river. It is there, accordingly, that Shekh 
Adelan keeps his cavalry, while the king, confined 
to the city, cannot maintain a single horse. The 
kingdom is hereditary, and descends to the eldest 
son ; and all the rest of the royal family are put 
to death. What is more singular, the grandees 
claim a right of putting an end to the life of the 
sovereign, whenever it seems to them expedient. 
There is an officer regularly appointed, whose duty 
it is to put this sentence into execution j and who, 
