Storia do Mogor 111.2

111.2

Morad the Armenian had already some acquaintance with India, and on the accession of a [82] new king, he thought the time had come for him to practise some deception. For this he joined with a Mahomedan merchant, an Arab by birth, a very trustworthy man, who had a number of correspondents ; and these two traded jointly from Ethiopia to Arabia and Hindustan, and from Hindustan to Ethiopia. It is necessary to know that the King of Ethiopia calls himself the king of musical instruments, and claims that no king can possess such instruments without his permission. Confiding in this his belief, he orders his music to play after he has dined, thereby permitting other kings and princes to sound their drums and set their music playing. These cunning merchants made use of this mad idea of the Ethiopian to put their plot into execution. They made a pretence of upholding the glory of their king, and going to him said that in the Mogul country was a new king, who had excellent instruments at his court, without having applied for leave to possess such royal insignia. The king told them they must visit the Mogul land and demand surrender of those instruments, and produce them before him.