Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 2 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773Bruce, James
History
Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 2 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773
Bruce, James
Egypt -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- History; Natural history -- Ethiopia; Nile River
As soon as the weather permitted, the king left his palace at Gorgora
in the way to Tocussa, where he staid several days; removed thence to
Tenkel, where he continued also four days, and proceeded to Gunkè,
where he halted. From his head-quarters at Gunkè, the king, meditating
an expedition against Atbara, sent a messenger to Nile Wed Ageeb,
prince of the Arabs, desiring a meeting with him before he attacked
the Funge, for so they call the subjects of the new monarchy, lately
established at Sennaar by the conquest of the Arabs, under Wed Ageeb, a
very considerable part of whose territory they had taken by force, and
now enjoyed as their own possessions.
Abdelcader, son of Ounsa, was the ninth prince of the race of Funge
then reigning; a weak, and ill-inclined man, but with whom Socinios
had hitherto lived in friendship, and, in a late treaty, had sent him
as a present, a nagareet, or kettle-drum, richly ornamented with gold,
with a gold chain to hang it by. Abdelcader, on his part, returned to
Socinios a trained falcon, of an excellent kind, very much esteemed
among the Arabs.
Soon after this, Abdelcader was deposed by his brother Adelan, son of
Ounsa, and fled to Tchelga, under protection of the king of Abyssinia,
who allowed him an honourable maintenance; a custom always observed in
such cases in the East, by princes towards their unfortunate neighbours.
Baady, son of Abdelcader, an active and violent young prince, although
he deposed his uncle Adelan, took this protection of his father in
bad part. It was likewise suggested to him, that the present sent
by Socinios, a nagareet, or kettle-drum, imported, that Socinios
considered him as his vassal, the drum being the sign of investiture
sent by the king to any one of his subjects whom he appoints to
govern a province, and that the return of the falcon was likely to
be considered as the acknowledgement of a vassal to his superior.
Baady, upon his accession to the throne, was resolved to rectify this
too great respect shewn on the part of his father, by an affront he
resolved to offer. With this view, he sent to Socinios two old, blind,
and lame horses.
Socinios took this amiss, as it was intended he should, and the slight
was immediately followed by the troops of Atbara, under Nile Wed Ageeb,
sent by Baady to make an inroad into Abyssinia, to lay waste the
country, and drive off the people, with orders to sell them as slaves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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