THE ENGLISH IN ABYSSINIA.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 190, 10 March 1868, Page 2

THE ENGLISH IN ABYSSINIA.

(JFrom IS Opinion Nationale — Paris, November 27.)

The English will laud, as we before announced, in the Bay of Adoulis or Annesly, in order to advance into the heart of Abyssinia. The brigade of the advanced guard is already installed on that part of the coast. It is going to form there vast establishments—one might almost say a town —where all the provisions, &c, necessary for the expedition will concentrated.

Colonel Mereweather first cast his eyes on a point of the coast situated further to the south, called Amphillia or Hanfilah. A vast roadstead, in fact, is to be found opposite that village, which was formerly a very active commercial port, and the English tried very hard some thirty years ago, to obtain the cession of it. But on examining more closely the different points of the Abyssinian coast, Colonel Mereweather could not fail to see the very superior advantages of the Bay of Aunesley, Zoulla, or Adoulis. He states in his despatches that the old high road along which Abyssinian commerce formerly went in order to reach the Red Sea, conducted to Adoulis ; that it was from Adoulis the Portuguese started when they penetrated into the interior of Abyssinia, and that by following this same road, one avoids the difficult passage of the Taranto.

But we are not aware whether he states at the same time to the English Government that M. de Jacobis in 1850 got the Bay of Adoulis, with the surrounding country, ceded to France, and that a Captain iu our navy, M. Kussell, repaired immediately to the Ked Sea, with the special mission of settling this important cession. It is true that the Imperial Government may have given up its rights to the Bay of Adoulis, as it has given up all its rights to the great Island of Madagascar. However this may be, the English are already occupying Zoulla or Adoulis, and one may suppose that they will not be in a hurry to abandon it, after having constructed the great works there of which we have spoken. One may well ask indeed if they have not gone to Abyssinia with the arriere pensee of forming a new annex of the British Empire of that country. The English journals even appear to suppose this themselves. It is very evident that England taking possession of Abyssinia would be ad vantageous to civilization. Africa would be definitely opened, and Europe would be able to struggle hand to hand with the barbarism of that immense continent. Christianity would at the same time be strengthened in ' Abyssinia, where it is seriously threatened by Islamiem, which environs it on three sides, and is making rapid progress there. Well, Christianity is the most powerful auxiliary of civilisation in barbarous countries, because it establishes between them and Europe a bond of sympathy. What would happen, in fact, if Llamism, succeeded in realising its plan of absorbing Abyssinia? Civilization

would lose on the Eastern coast of Africa, point d' appui of unequalled importance, that Mussulman exclusiveness would shut a door to us which, one day or another, must open Central Africa to us, and that the traditional symyathy of the Abyssinian people for the nations of the West, would give place to a ferocious hatred against Christians.

There are grave reasons which militate, it is true in favor of the English occupation of Abyssinia. But we cannot disguise, on the other hand, that Great Britain, who already occupies Perim and Aden, would hecomo the absolute mistress of the Bed Sea, if she added all Abyssinia to her possessions, and if she converted the port of Adoulis into an outlet for Abyssinian product, and which, before long, she would make i to a commercial centre, which would leave Aden far behind, and be reallv an impregnable position, on the shore of a bay easily defended and protected by the adjacent islands of Dahlac, Dessie. Moreover, England reigning in Abyssinia and possessing the Bed Sea, would become tbs supreme arbiter of the destinies of Egypt The ViceroT would become by the force of things the vassal of Queen Victoria, rueh more than of the Sultan, for no Power could resist Gie.it Britain invading the Valley of the Nile with an Abyssinian armv of 200,000 men, equal in bravery and intelligence to our European soldiers.