Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 4.djvu/394

 ^66 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER

ners and difcourfe feemed refolved to withdraw himfelf from his duty to the king: That Shekh Adclan, his young- er brother, with the remaining troops, had left Sennaar, and was encamped at Aira, a few miles from the town, v/here he too governed defpotically by his own v/ill ; it being the prerogative of the minifter to have abfolutc power as foon as he has left the capital, and put himfelf at the head of the army, for levying the tax from the Arabs ; but that he had parted v/ith the king on terms very little fhort of rebellion. He then faid, " Since this is the cafe, that Providence has thrownyour lot here, that you cannot go forward to Sen- naar, nor back to Abyffinia, if you will refolve to ftay with me, and turn Mahometan, which is the only true religion, I will give you my daughter for your wife, and you fliall be fecond man in the government of Teawa ; and as my intention is to go next year to Mecca, you fliall then be appointed to the government of iVtbara, Vvhile I go to Sen- naar, and procure an office fitter for an old man,"

Although I feldcm, in my life, was lefs inclined to mer- riment, I aifeded to break out into a loud fit of laughter; at which he looked grave, feeraing to take it ill, and aflcing me if I laughed at huii ? " Exactly fo, laid I, at you ; I vras laughing to think that a man fet over a province to govern it, like you, fhould yet knowfo little cf mankind as to ima- gine, one like me capable of turning renegado. You may deny it for forae purpofe of your own, but 1 know you are well informed of the degree of favour and honour in which I was whilft in Abyffinia, where I had every thing that. I dcfired. They were people of my religion, and yet I never could confcnteithertofc?y w'ththem or marry among them. What then could be my inducement to marry here, to 3 ^ change