266 
OBSERVATIONS ON MR. SALT'S 
send out as Aboona, a man of education and talent. Hitherto no 
man, who had any expectation of rising in his native country, would 
accept an office which was, in fact, a perpetual banishment,, to live 
among a barbarous people, with whose language he was unac- 
quainted, and who were surrounded by Mussulmauns, cutting off 
all communication with other Christians, and gradually incroach- 
ing on their territories. An Aboona, going out under British pro- 
lection, would have far other ideas ; and the fairer side of the pic- 
ture would tempt an ambitious man to accept an office which 
would give him the supreme control over a numerous clergy, 
among a people highly reverencing his sacred character, in a healthy, 
fertile, and pleasant country, where, in affluence and rank, the sove- 
reign alone could be considered as superior to him. 
The restoring of tranquillity to the provinces, and a legal trade 
to the united empire, would also have the very important effect of 
putting an end to the exportation of slaves, which here is not only 
liable to the same objections as on the western coast of Africa, but 
to the still greater one, that the slaves exported are Christians, and 
that they are carried into Arabia, where they inevitably lose, not 
only their liberty, but their religion. 
England has felt it an imperious duty, to step forward and libe- 
rate the unfortunate Negroes from slavery ; and I trust the similarly 
hard fate of many thousand Christians, requires only to be known, 
to call equally for her active exertions in their favour ; especially 
as those exertions will, in every point of view, be beneficial to 
herself. 
The trade, that is at present carried on by Abyssinia with Arabia 
is of considerable importance. From Jidda, she receives many, 
