be divine. Why, then, associate truth with error? What! Do we expect the genuine fruits of Christianity to be produced by grafting the scion of reason on the stock of delusion? Vain expectation! "When we shall look for grapes, behold! only wild grapes."

:

We are also told that to distribute Bibles, without annotation or comment, is the same thing as to give a hungry man indigestible food. We entirely agree with Mr. C. that a few short explanatory notes, such as he suggests, would make the Bible more intelligible to the common reader: but he must be aware that notes are prohibited in order to prevent any sect or church from taking advantage of another by the insertion of comments. The Prayer-Book is considered in the light of a comment, and for this reason it is not circulated by the BibleSociety but they no more mean to give an opinion against the Liturgy than against the Assembly's Catechism, by not including it in their plan. What, in short, is the amount of the objection with which a large portion of our clergy are assailing the Bible-Society? Its sum and substance may be given in few words. A society is formed to include all the sects and denominations of Christians, and the bond of union is a plan for the distribution of that book which all agree in receiving as of Divine origin, to the exclusion of every thing which has any particular reference to any one church or com munion; when a party starts up, and says, "we will not agree to a distribution of the Divine basis of our common faith, unless you distribute with it that which is peculiar to our individual church." A more unwise and unfair objection cannot be formed. The substance of Mr. C.'s sermon may be perused with more pleasure than his introduction.

CORRESPONDENCE.

We are sorry to hear the complaints urged by W. W. respecting the publication, to which his letter refers; and that we cannot offer the aid in remedying them which he would politely ascribe to our criticism on it. New Editions, as we have often declared, it is out of our power. frequently to notice, without detriment to the numerous original works which demand our attention; and, in the case of the important book in question, the task would be too laborious to be executed whenever a new impression appears. We are under the necessity, at present, of passing over more than the one which our correspondent implicates.

The verification of the letter " on a subject in which humanity is so much interested" is agreeably satisfactory to us. We have not yet obtained the work mentioned, which we must peruse before we can speak farther on the matter, but we hope that we shall be able to attend to it in our next Number.

The title of Mr. Davis's Olio, noticed in our Review for Sep-. tember, was there erroneously copied; the word biographical being. used instead of bibliographical anecdotes.

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For DECEMBER, 1814.

ART. I. A Voyage to Abyssinia, and Travels into the Interior of that Country, executed under the Orders of the British Government, in the Years 1809 and 1810; in which are included an Account of the Portuguese Settlements on the East Coast of Africa, visited in the course of the Voyage; a concise Narrative of late Events in Arabia Felix, and some Particulars respecting the Aboriginal African Tribes, extending from Mosambique to the Borders of Egypt; together with Vocabularies of their respective Languages, illustrated with (by) a Map of Abyssinia, numerous Engravings, and Charts. By Henry Salt, Esq. F.R.S. &c. 4to. pp. 580. 51. 5s. Boards. Rivingtons. 1814.

AF

FTER having noticed the important share which was occupied by this enterprising and intelligent traveller in the narrative of Lord Valentia's voyages, (see our Review for July 1810, p. 234.) we added, not without great pleasure and the anticipation of highly interesting results, the information of his then recent appointment by the British government as the bearer of presents and dispatches from his Majesty to the Emperor of Abyssinia, with a view to the possible opening of some commercial communication with the people of that country. We had, indeed, the summary decision of the East India Directors against the indulgence of any very sanguine expectation from such an opening, on the score of mercantile advantage yet we were unreasonable enough to entertain the hope that a sufficient prospect, even in that direction, might be afforded, to support and promote the more disinterested spirit of discovery which requires so little stimulus to its exertion in this country; and for which so extensive and promising a field would be presented by any periodical or stated intercourse with the nations of Eastern Africa.

We have now to perform the welcome duty of congratulating Mr. Salt on his safe return; and, before we proceed to analyze the fruits of his literary labours since his arrival, we shall briefly state the conclusion to be formed from them with respect to the advancement of the object principally entertained. In the first place, then, we unwillingly observe that Mr. Salt's embassy does not appear to have contributed so essentially towards this end, as those might have expected who were unacVOL. LXXV.

quainted

quainted with the circumstances attending his mission, and the very limited extent of his powers; and it is equally an act of justice to himself and our readers to quote his own account of the obstacles which prevented him from advancing to the capital of the empire:

In the course of our journey to Chelicut I had partly ascertained, in conversation with Mr. Pearce and Debib, the impracticability of proceeding to Gondar, as I had proposed, on account of the distracted state of the interior provinces, and the enmity subsisting between Ras Welled Selassé and a chief named Guxo, who at this time held the command of some of the most important districts eastward of the river Tacazze. In a conference which I had with the Ras on the 16th of March, when a long discussion took place relative to the subject of my mission, the difficulties above mentioned were not only strongly confirmed by him, but he also assured me, that it was absolutely impossible for me to attempt such a journey, unless I could wait till after the rainy season in October had subsided, at which time, it was his own intention to march with an army to Gondar; for that, if I were to venture unprotected on such an expedition, the enmity which Guxo bore him would occasion my certain detention, and in all probability my destruction. I. own, that I felt inclined to have braved even these hazards; but, on pressing the point, I ascertained that the Ras was resolved not to permit it, and I knew that it was in vain to contend against his authority. I was therefore reluctantly compelled to give up the idea of visiting Gondar; for, with respect to waiting till after the rains, it was entirely out of my power, on account of the expence which would have attended the detention of the Marian; for, unfortunately, I was positively enjoined by my orders to return in that vessel.'

Under these circumstances,' he continues, I was under the disagreeable necessity, in compliance with my instructions, of delivering over his Majesty's letter and presents, designed for the Emperor, to the Ras. It is evident, therefore, that, whatever consequences are likely to result from this visit by Mr. Salt, its immediate influence must be restricted to the eastern division of the empire, called the province of Tigré; and, in order to calculate the actual extent of that influence, the physical importance of the district itself, the character of its inhabitants, and above all that of its present chief and the principal officers under him, must be taken into the calculation; for all which, the observations made by Mr. Salt during his short residence afford very ample materials. From these we collect that the present disposition of the ruling powers in this department of the empire is highly favourable to us; and that their good inclinations have been not a little strengthened and animated by his embassy. The establishment in Tigré, and under the immediate patronage of the Ras, of that extraordinary adventurer Pearce, and the occasional intercourse which is still kept up between

between him and Mr. Salt, (a tie which is now still farther strengthened by the voluntary adherence of another English settler named Coffin,) may likewise prove of incalculable advantage towards the accomplishment of any future plans either of commerce or discovery. The relative importance of Tigré as a portion of the Abyssinian empire is admitted by Mr. Bruce. The augmentation of that importance is very confidently stated by Mr. Salt as the actual result of his visits; and here again we shall borrow his own words, both as to the assertion of that essential fact, and for his general conclusions relative to the subject now under discussion. We shall not venture on any inferences from these passages, but proceed immediately to the narrative of Mr. Salt's transactions:

The effect of my late journies has tended to increase the preponderance of Tigré, and it appears to me that the only plan, which offers a hope of restoring any thing like a regular form of government into the distracted country of Abyssinia, would be to promote still further the welfare of that province, by removing the obstructions which interrupt her communications with the coast, and by establishing thence a free intercourse with the British settlements in the East. Were such a measure to be accomplished, and a branch of the royal family to be placed by the consent of the chiefs of Tigré on the throne at Axum, it might again revive the political importance of the country, and ultimately lead to the most desirable results.

At present the possession of the ports of Massowa and Suakin by the deputies of the rulers of Jidda *, forms a decided obstacle to all effectual intercourse with Abyssinia, owing to the unjust exactions which are extorted from the merchants who attempt to trade in their ports; and the power of these chiefs in the Red Sea may comparatively be considered as formidable from their possessing several armed ships of four and five hundred tons burthen, with a fleet of dows, carrying each from six to eight guns, which, when manned with the desperate ruffians who constitute the population of Jidda, give them complete command over both sides of the gulf. The most effectual plan, I conceive, of opposing this influence, which appears to me fraught with remote danger, even to our Indian possessions, would be best accomplished by forming a native power in the Red Sea, sufficiently strong to counteract its effects, and likely to prove more friendly inclined to the English interests. This could be brought about without any great difficulty by means of the Imaum of Sana, who might readily be induced to concur in any plan which had for its object to repress the ambitious schemes of the rulers at present in possession of Jidda, since he has lately been threatened with an attack from that very quarter against one of the most valuable parts of his dominions.

Since I left the sea, the Pasha of Egypt has superseded the Sheriffe of Mecca in the command of Jidda, whose influence in the Red Sea, I conceive, likely to produce the worst effects."

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I may farther observe, that if some such general plan as the one I have ventured to suggest were carried into effect, and any one point on the Abyssinian coast taken under the protection of the British flag, there is not a doubt that a considerable demand would shortly arise for both English and Indian commodities, which though not in the first instance of any great importance* might still form a valuable appendage to the trade of Mocha, whence it could be easily carried on at a trifling expence. The advantages of this intercourse to the Abyssinians themselves would prove incalculably beneficial; it would open to them the means of improvement, from which they have been so long debarred, and would raise them to a consequence more than sufficient to repress the inroads of the Galla; introducing at the same time such an amelioration into their condition, as might lead perhaps ultimately to a diffusion of civilization, if not of Christianity, over a considerable portion of Africa.'

Mr. Salt embarked at Portsmouth, on the 20th of January 1809, on board the Marian, a merchant-vessel commanded by Captain Thomas Weatherhead, which sailed in company with an East India fleet, on the 23d of the same month: but, being driven back by adverse winds, and detained at St. Helen's to refit, they did not finally depart until the 2d of March, with a Brazil convoy. On the 18th they reached Madeira, and on the 20th of May anchored in Table Bay at the Cape. Here, in consequence of another accident, their farther progress was delayed till the month of August; when, convoy being obtained to the Mozambique, they proceeded for their destination, and arrived at that harbour on the 25th of the same month. Mr. Salt's reception by the Portuguese commandant of that settlement was such as we might reasonably suppose would be given

*The duties at Massowa at present average from 20,000 to 30,000 dollars annually, which, at the rate of ten per cent., makes the value of the goods imported about 250,000 dollars: this would undoubtedly admit of considerable increase. Tin sells at Massowa for seven and a half dollars per Mocha frasil: copper for nine and a half; pepper two and a half; and cotton, which is the principal article in demand, for from two and a half to three. Broad cloth will not fetch more than three dollars per yard English measure; but the natives are not particular about quality; colour being the chief thing they regard. Cloth of two colours on the different sides would sell well, either here or in Arabia. Brass-foil, or silver-leaf, fetches two and a half dollars per ounce; wrought silk one and a half per wakea; red kid skins sell at one and a half dollar each; tobacco at from three to four dollars per frasil. Besides these articles, a few low priced velvets and coarse muslins might answer, together with cheap looking-glasses. Any ship employed on this service should manage to arrive in the Red Sea before the end of May, so as to be able to leave it in August; under the present system in the Red Sea, however, this trade is not worthy of attention.

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