BRUCE* S9 
was to the latter that our traveller was first in- 
troduced. He received him in a very blunt and 
soldier-like manner, bordering on roughness ; but 
finding that he replied in his own style, and that 
he understood horses, which were his own favour- 
ite passion, he soon became his friend, and engaged 
to protect him. Mr Bruce did not succeed so 
well with the king, and during his stay several 
plots were formed against him, from which, how- 
ever, he succeeded in extricating himself. His 
most critical situation was when he was sent to 
act as physician to the king's wives, whom he 
found, to the number of forty, assembled in 
one room. These ladies, in order that he might 
judge the more thoroughly of their situation, im- 
mediately began by unveiling, without reserve, 
all the charm.s which nature had bestowed upon 
them. These appeared to our trav^eiler so exceed- 
ingly small, as to be incapable of exciting a single 
idea which could give oflTence to the royal hus- 
band ; yet he did not the less tremble for the con- 
sequence, should he be discovered by that mo- 
narch in such a situation. 
Sennaar is a very populous town, and the 
houses, though only of clay, are well built, ac- 
cording 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 over- 
