feemed as i f a great many o f them had formerly been detuned
as barracks for foldiers, o f whom I did not fee above
fifty on guard. The k in g was in a fmall room, not twenty
feet fquare, to which we afcended by two ihort flights o f
narrow fteps. The floor o f the room was covered with
broad fquare tiles ; over it was laid aPerfian carpet, and the
walls hu ng with tapeftry o f the fame country ; the whole
very well kept, and, in good order.
T he k in g was fitting upon a matreis, laid on the ground,
which was like wife covered with a Perfian carpet, and
round him was a number o f cuihions o f Venetian cloth o f
gold. His drefs did not correfpond with this magnificence,
fo r it was nothing but a large, loofe fhirt o f Surat blue cotton
cloth, which feemed not to differ from the fame worn by his
fervants, except that, all round the edges o f it, the feams,
were double-ftitched with w hite filk, and likewife round the
neck. His head was uncovered; he wore his’ownlhort b lack
hair, and was as white in colour as an Arab. He feemed
to be a man about thirty-four, his feet were bare, but covered
by his fhirt. He had a very plebeian countenance, on
which was {tamped no decided character; I fliould rather
guefs him to be a foft, timid, irrefolute man. At my com
in g forward and kifling his hand, he'lpoked at me for a
minute as i f undetermined what to fay. He then afked for
an Abyffinian interpreter, as there are many o f thefe about
the palace. I'faid to him in Arabic, “ That I apprehended I
underftood as much, o f that language as would enable me
to anfwer any queftion he had to put to me,” Upon which
he turned to the people that were with him, “ Downright
Arabic,¿indeed! You did not learn that language in Habefh?”
{aid he to me. I anfwered, “ N o ; I have been in Egypt,
i ' Turkey,
TuiRey, and Arabia, where I learned it ; but I have likewife
often fpoken it in Abyflinia, where Greek, Turkiih, and fe-
veral other languages, were ufed.” He faid, “ Impoflible I
he did not think they knew any thing o f languages, exceptin
g their own, in Abyffinia.”
T here were fitting, in the fide o f the room, oppofite to
him, four men drèfled in white cotton Hurts, with a white
ihaul covering their heads and part o f their face, b y
which it was known they were religious men, or men o f
learning, or o f the law. One o f thefe anfwered the k in g ’s
doubt o f the Abyflinians knowledge in languages. “ T he y
have languages enough; and you know that Habeih is
called the paradife o f aifes.” During this converfation,. I
took the iherrifle o f Mecca’s letter, alfo one from the k in g
pf Abyflihia; I gave him the k in g ’s firfl, and then the
fherriffe’s. He took them both as I gave them, but laid
afide the k in g ’s upon a cuihion, till he had read the fher-
riffe’s. After this he read the k in g ’s, and called immediately
again for an Abyflinian interpreter ; upon which I faid nothing,
fuppofing, perhaps, he might chufe to make him deliver
fome melTage to mb in private, which he would not
have his people hear. But it was pure confufion and ab-
fence o f mind, for he never fpoke a word to him when he
came. “ You. are a phyfician and a foldier,” fays the king.
“ Both, in time o f need,” faid I. “ But the flierriffe’s letter
tells me alfo, that you are a'nobleman in the fervice o f a
great k in g that they call Englife-man, who is matter
o f all the Indies, and w h o has Mahometan as well as
Chriftian fubjeéts, and allows them all to be governed
by their own laws.”— “ Though I never faid fo to the fher-
riffe, replied I, yet it is true ; I am as noble as any individual