430 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
feemed as if a great many of them had formerly been def- tined as barracks for foldiers, of whom I did not fee above fifty on guard. The king was in a fmall room, not twenty feet fquare, to which we afcended by two fhort flights of narrow Heps. The floor of the room was covered with broad fquare tiles ; over it was laid aPerflan carpet, and the walls hung with tapeflry of the fame country ; the whole very well kept, and in good order.
The king was fitting upon a matrefs, laid on the ground, which was likewife covered with a Perfian carpet, and round him was a number of cufliions of Venetian cloth of gold. His drefs did not correfpond with this magnificence, for it was nothing but a large, loofe ftiirt of Surat blue cotton cloth, which feemed not to differ from the fame worn by his fervants, except that, all round the edges of it, the feams were double-Hitched with white filk, and likewife round the neck. His head was uncovered ; he wore his own fliort black hair, and was as white in colour as an Arab. He feemed to be a man about thirty-four, his feet were bare, but co- vered by his fliirt. He had a very plebeian countenance, on which was ftamped no decided character ; I fliould rather guefs him to be a foft, timid, irrefolute man. At my co- ming forward and kifling his hand, he looked at me for a mmute as if undetermined what to fay. He then aflced for an Abyfiinian interpreter, as there are many of thefe about the palace. I faid to him in Arabic, " That I apprehended I tinderftood as much of that language as would enable me to anfwer any quefl.ion 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 Habefli?'* faid he to me. I anfwered, " No ; I have been in Egypt, I Turke/j
