ABYSSINIA. 271 



sinia, and I trust that this unfortunate country, which 

 has been subjected to all the horrors of civil war, may 

 recover the unity which in former ages saved it from 

 foreign conquest, and that King Nikas may, by his 

 intelligence and tendency to open communication with 

 Europe, be equal to this difficult but glorious task. 



He sent me, I may add, the following autograph 

 letter, upon his own behalf and that of his people, 

 expressing his wishes for the success of the Suez 

 Canal ; and this letter, written in Ethiopian, has been 

 translated by M. d'Abbadie, well known for his 

 travels in Abyssinia. 



" I Negus, 



"Master (of the horse) Mkas, King of Ethiopia, 

 who reigns by the law of our Lord Jesus Christ, from 

 Mizwa to Gondar, and this is the kingdom of Tigre, 

 and Simen, Wagara, "Walqayt, Tagade, Dambya, 

 Ealasa, Kinfaz, Agaw Lasta, Salawa; I salute Fer- 

 dinand de Lesseps, who is of the tribe of light, who 

 has accomplished a work wonderful for our day. 



"From the beginning until now I have had my 

 mind fixed upon the work which you are accomplish- 

 ing, and which is a source of joy for all the earth ; 

 and now that it is a settled thing, upon behalf of my 

 country, which I love, and in my own name, I give 

 you thanks. 



"In piercing the land of Sawis (Suez), you make a 

 mutual union between our lands and the affairs of 



