APPENDIX A. 
153 
“THE TOOKUL, HENLEY-ON-THAMES, 
“ J%ay 7, 1867. 
“Mt Loed, 
“In conformity with the wishes of your Lordship, ex- 
pressed to me hy letter on the 5th instant, that it would he more 
convenient if I would put my suggestions with respect to the 
relief of the captives in Abyssinia in writing, I beg to submit 
the following brief statement of the most inexpensive, and to 
my mind, according to the present position of our relations with 
Theodore, the safest means to coerce him to release the prisoners 
in his possession. 
“ Tour Lordship is aware of the absence of salt in Abyssinia, 
and that it has to be imported from the coast. Of the import- 
ance of salt as an article of consumption I need not dwell ; but 
perhaps it may not be so well known that in Abyssinia proper, 
and many of its dependencies and neighbouring territories, it 
is so valuable as to form an universal object for barter, and is 
equivalent in value to coin. 
“ The plan that I have the honour to suggest for the conside- 
ration of your Lordship is, that Her Majesty’s Grovernment, in 
concord with his Highness the Viceroy of Egypt, should establish 
and entertain a small but efficient naval and military force at - 
Massowah, so disposable as to establish a blockade for the pre- 
vention of all communication between Abyssinia and the coast 
on the one hand, and with the Egyptian dependencies of the 
Soudan on the other. 
“ It would be a matter for consideration whether the blockade 
should be so stringent as to annul all possible intercourse between 
the above-named points, and comprise the seizure of merchandise 
and individuals as counter-hostages to guarantee the safety of the 
prisoners, or whether it should be confined to prevent the transit 
of salt into Abyssinia. 
