ANTALOW 
39 
making war upon him. He then asked me what were the wishes of 
Lord Valentia, and the objects for which I had come. In return, I 
informed him that Lord Valentia's sole motive in sending me, was 
an anxious desire to promote an intercourse of friendship between 
two such powerful countries as England and Abyssinia, the inhabi- 
tants of which were moreover of the same religion ; and that if the 
Ras was inclined to form such a connection, to represent to him how 
much it might conduce to the interest of his country. That Abys- 
sinia having hitherto been accustomed to receive all her imports at 
the third or fourth hand, an immoderate duty had been paid at 
every separate transfer ; whereas an intercourse with the English, 
who are uncontrouled masters of the sea, would enable the Ras to 
supply himself at once with whatever commodities he might want, 
and of a quality far superior to any that had hitherto found their 
way into his country: that, in all this, Lord Valentia was actuated 
by no motives of personal advantage, having only in view the mu- 
tual benefit of England and Abyssinia, to which a free interchange 
of each other's produce would materially contribute. His Lord- 
ship, I added, was now proceeding to England, and would gladly 
take charge of any communication which the Government of 
Abyssinia might choose to make on the subject to the British Go- 
vernment. 
" After a silence of a few minutes, the Ras asked me, whether 
Massowah, or any other port in the neighbourhood, would be most 
convenient for English vessels to deliver their cargoes at. To this 
I replied, that I believed there was no harbour, but only anchorage 
at Beiloul, otherwise the vicinity of that place to his capital, would 
give it a decided advantage over Massowah. That there was indeed 
