The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-16 00:00:00

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THE FRENCH ,IN THE _RED SEA.

(E•cm r Cwrispondent of the Times.)
ADEN, Nov. 27.
_
Not long ago I reported some suspicions move-
ments on the coast of Abyssinia in connection with
a politico religious association of Europeans, who
are making strenuous efforts to gain an aseendancy
in that country. It was intimated on that occasion
that French officials in 'Egypt and elsewhere were
cognizant of the design, and were generally sup-
posed to be secretly fostering it. Advices just re-
ceived froMMa.ssowah tend to show that the scheme
is being consolidated under the special auspices of
the French Government. A new Consul, in the
person of M. Gilbert, has lately reached Massowah,
accredited,to .Dejai Nagoosi, the preeent ruler of
Tigre, and furnished with instructions to protect
all the Abyssinians under the jurisdiction of that
chief, and to discourage the traffic in Christian
slaves. it appears, moreover, that the port of Adool,
or Adoolis, has been ceded to France by Dejai
Nagoosi, and that a French vessel of war is shortly
expected,in the Red Sea, to take possession of the
newly acquired territory. As intimately connected.
with the projoet thus about to he inaugurated, I
may alio mention that pertnission has lieen obtained
from the Terte.to build a Itatnan Catholic church
on the i.sland of Massowala, to be under the special

protectprate of Franee.
The foregoing arrangement is presumed. to be the
result izif an enibassy sent to Paris by Dejai, Na-
goosi, and the qufd pro quo which he is to receive
for the concessions granted is avowedly the counte-
nance.and support of the Imperial. Government.
That fact alone is ominous of farther interferenCe;
and the consequence is likely to prove most disas-
trous to the interests of the Abyssinian Emperor
Theodorus, and at the same' time to give France sa-
preme ascendatacy over the whole country. The pro-
vince, of Tigre, comprising the principal ports on the
coast, is nominallyhtubject to the Emperor, who re-
sides at Gondar ; but for y ears past and to the present
moment it has been virtually ruled. by its own
chiefs, who have maintained an incessant warfare
withethe Supreme Government. By enlisting the
political Co-operation of France, and by Securing
the sympathy of Catholicism through the encorage-
ment -given to' Ronaish missions in Tigre, Dejai
Nagoosi bids fair not only to secure his own inde-
pendence; tut ultimately also to acquire the sove-
reignty over the whole of Abyssinia. Material aid in
the shape of moneiand arms has already found its
way into Tigre through the church, party, and the
projected French' settlement at Adoolis will be a
convenient centre whence to give better direction
and' efficiency to ulterior proceeings.
By accrediting a representative to Dejai Nagoosi
France has officially recognised his independence of
the Abssyinian Emperor. This recognition was
obviously indispensable to give validity to 'the ces-
sion by the former of any portion of the Abyssinian
territory. The British Government may not feel
itself called upon to dispute the title-deed, thotigh I
doubt not that Theodorus, to whom our own Consul,
Mr. Plowden, is accredited, will not fail to call its
attention to this act of hostility on the part of
France. The latter power is evidently more dis-
posed to recognise dc facto rulers in these parts
than in the Italian Duchies, for the simple reason, I
suppose, that it suits her iuterest better. She may
deny it, if she pleases, nevertheless -it Is indispu
table that ' for some time past France has been
hankering after a settlement in the Red Sea. About
ten years ago a place called Idd, on the African
side, was purchased by a Frenchman ; and,
although the then existing Government of France
disowned being privy to the bargain, nevertheless.
a French frigate passed through Aden not long
after, supplied with artisans and materials for com-
mencing a station there, and. I believe the idea was
eventually abandoned owing to the insecurity of
the anchorage' and other serious drawbacks. Came-
ran, on the Arabian side, was the next spot fixed
upon, and was fully surveyed by the French steamer
Caiman in 1854 ; but, as that island belonged to the
Turks, the 'political difficulties in the way of its
acquisition could not be surmounted.' There can be
no doubt, however, that the object has been
gained at last by the cession of Adoolis ; the
intelligence from Massowah is explicit on that
point, and confirms the announcement lately
made in the. Journal du Havre that the Abys-
sinian King had ceded to France the port
of Massowah, on the Red Sea. There is an im-
portant mistake in the name, for the island of MaS-
sowah belongs
,to the Porte, and has a Turkish
garrison and governor ; but, although the Moniteur
de. la Flotte took advantage of that error to question
the truth of any concession having ben made to
France in this quarter, the fact is undeniable, and
the port of Adoolis, from which the site of the an-
cient city of that name is distant about 15 miles in-
land, is the station elect. It is situated towards the
extremity of Gubbet Dncnoo, to which Lord Va-
lentin gave the name of Ansley Bay ' and is about
40 miles to the south of Massowah. Moresby gives
the following , description of the Bay :—" Gubbet
Duenoo is formed between the land of HUrtow Peak
on the east and the land. of Geedan on the west,
and Dissce Island lies in the entrance, with a chan-
nq. leading on each side ; the eastern one is a mile
broad in the narrowest part, and the western one
is of considerable width. The breadth of the en-,
trance of this passage from shore-to shore is 12
miles ; half way up it is little mor ~ than four ; it
then spreads out again, and is S' Miles broad at
the bottom.. Its extreme breadth is 30 tniles: The

'soundings are 44 fathoms, mud, at the western en-
trance; decreasing. gradually to 20fathom's, mud, in
the lower part, and 16 to 12 fathoms are. found
close to the shore. Northerly wind; blow directly
into it ; a vessel would then, perhaps, have some
difficulty in.getting out. The surprising difference
'in the fertility of the soil in this place is remark-
able, the bay being bordered by low land, producing
rich pastures, with grass of great length, plenty of
cattle, and a greatnumber ef large antelopes. There
are some ruins on the west coast occupying. much
ground, and. an extensive burial-ground near them,
but no inscriptions. Freshwater may be precured."
Another officer of the Indian navy who visited the
place in 18.49 confirms this account of the fertility
of the district, adding- that indigo grew wild and in
great abundance on all the adjacent hills. , The
same gentleman succeeded in reaching the site of
Adoolis, the ruins of whiCh he represents,as extend-
ing over an area ef 15 miles, and among them were
numerous large blocks of marble, but without in-
scriptions.
The reader of Eastern history will recognise-in.
Adoolis one o: the four great Abyssinian emporia of
the Indian trade in ancient times, the remaining
three being Azab, Axum, and liieroe. • Of these
Adool, or idoolis, appears to have been the most
renowned, owing to its highly favourable position •
in the Red Sea, as also its fertility and safe anchor-
age. Tie skill of the ."' children of Adool" in ship-
building is eulogize& in the 11loollaka of Trifa,
• famous Arabian poet of the sixth century, and it
was it the same century that, instigated thereto by
Justinian, the Abyssinian Nejachi, or King, known
to tie 'Westerns by the nrine of Elisbaas, built 700 •
'vewels at Adool, and with the • co-operation of a
Roman fleet transported 70,000 Abyssinians into
Arabia, and. effected the conquests of Yemen.
These few reminiscences of the past history of.
Adoolis bespeak its eligibility as a commercial sta-
tion, and although it is improbable 'that' the wares
of the Indian market will ever resume the old route
by the Red Sea, nevertheless, as the trade of Abys-
sinia alone is. already considerable, and is, more-
over, susceptible of increase to almost any extent,
a well organized Settlement at' the-port of Adoolis
has everything to recommend it. It will interfere
little, if at all, with thetrade of Aden, consequently
France need not anticipate; any opposition on. that
score from the , British. 'Aden is- certainly more
. conveniently situated in respect of the African coast
on this side the Straits of Babelinandeb ; but there
can be no doubt that AdOolis, under wise 'ma-
nagement,. might in a• short time be made to
rival its successor, Massowah, and eventually to
become the great outlet for the -trade of Abyssinia.
• and the country beyond; which now finds'. its way
into Egypt through that port' via the•lted Sea, and
overland through Nubia. • .
The only danger in the projected Scheme is that
France will not rest' satisfied with theeneral:pur-
suits of commerce,-bat • will • -seek— to establish .an
exclusive _political ascendancy over Aevssirlia,
which may be injurious to British interests in the
East. It is well known. that the ancient Ethiopians
under Sabacon invaded Egypt and overthrew the
native dynasty ; and not many :ears
ago the Abys-
sinians .rephlsed the Tureo-A rabtroops commanded
by Kurschid Bcy. The courage of the Abys-
sinians,. and of their neighbours_ i
and kinsmen the
Gallas. is notorious, and, trained n .e.uropean tae-
. tieS, tl:ey world prove more ihin a match . the
prese.nt
.Egyptian army. With such a p3werful
ally on the coo nos of . Egypt, Frsince would pos-
ness an overwhelmiug influence over that coultrS,
inclepentl ent in a great. measure of her own' i
re-
sources
n the :qe.literrancan, and. political 'com-
plications. are certainly possible which may render
such a pripenderance more than menacing to our
legitimate po:iition in the East.
There is no undue suspicion in these foreshadow-
. ings, and'Franee will best show that our fears are
utterly groundless by restricting her.fut tire agency
in Abyssinia to the-doclopment of commerce, and
to promoting the peaceful arts and sciences among
its half-civilised populations. •
• Her Majesty's ship Cyclops 'left Men on the 7th
inst. to complete the survey for the telegraphic
cable between Men and Kurrachee. On this oe.
casion Captain Pullen will take up his former,
soundings at Ras-el-Hadd and continue them to
Muscat, thence in a north-easterly- direction across
the gulf to the coast of Mekran, and then along that
coast to Kurrachee. It is presumed that this course

will give more favourable soundings than the di-
rect line from Ras-el-Had to Kurrachee, which was
surveyed last year. Captain Pullen anticipated
reaching the Tatter plkee early in December, and
expects to be joined there about the middle of the
month by `the Imperatriz, -with part of, the cable
on board. The Imperador, with the, remaining part,
is looked for 'at Aden on the 10th proximo, and
will proceed at once with >lr. Newall, the contrac-
tor, and Mr. Pwrde, the company's engineer, tojoin
the sister ship and the Cyclops at Knrrachee,
touchinprojected stations of Hallania and
Muscat on her way thither. If all goes well we may
hope to see a continuous telegraphic communication
established between India and Alexanslria by the
end of January next. The process of paying out
the cable' will commence at Kurrachee.

VOLUNTEER CORPS.
THE QUEEN'S.
Last night a public meeting of inhabitants of the
district of Pimlico was held in St. Peter's school-
room, Wm' ve-street South, for the purpose of pro-
moting the formation of additional companies in
connection with the Queen's Volunteer Rifle Corps,
which now numbers 250 effective members.
Earl GROSVENOR, M.P., commanding officer of
the corps, who was called to the chair, made a state-
ment as to the present position of the corps, with a
view to interest the inhabitants of that district of
the metropolis in its welfare. He thought if it were
possible for any one wholly ignorant of this volun-
teer movement to land in this country at present,
fie would not be a little astonished on entering
Westminster-hall to hear the ring of arms. He
would be still: more astonished to hear that it was a
peace movement. It was, nevertheless, essentially
a peace movement, inasmuch as it was meant to
prevent a possible invasion of the soil of England,
and might tend besides to insure the peace of
Europe and perhaps of the world at large. (Cheers.)
When foreign countries knew that we were in such
a position as to be perfectly safe
,and unassailable,
we should have all the greater weight in the coun-
cils of 'Europe, and'be enabled to enforce the policy
.'of Europe, Which was essentially one of peace.
(Cheers.) At present there were 250 effective mem-
bers of this particular corps, not counting honorary
members, and they met for drill three times a week
for two hours in Westminster-hall, although many
'of them were professional men, and could ill spare
the requisite time. Their progress had been most
satisfactory. They had secured a practice-ground
at Sydenham with a range of 300, yards, sharing
the-expense with. the Scottish Volunteers, and there
they would be enabled to vary with a little recrea-
tion in the Crystal Palace the hard work to which
they were subjected at drill. Should it be found
necessary to have a longer range, there was a pros-
pect of obtaining one near Croydon or at Wormwood
Scrubbs. At first, however, the great object was to
practise shooting without any ammunition at all, ac-
cording to the system adopted. at Hythe. The shoot-
ing with ball afterwards was merely a test of profici-
ency. On the meeting of Parliament Westminster-
hall would be no longer available for drill, but the
Duke of Wellington had kindly granted to this
corps the use of the riding-school at Knightsbridge
for that purpose. (Cheers.) He (Earl Grosvenor)
was Sorry to learn that it was in contemplation to
form another corps in that district, for he thought
such a, course would occasion confusion and impede
the progress of the movement in that part of Lon-
don. The money subscribed for establishing this
(the Queen's) corps amounted now to about £B5O ;
but a greater sum would be necessary to meet the
necessary expenses, and, seeing that they resided
in a wealthy and populous district, he had no doubt
that sum would be forthcoming when gentlemen
came up to town at the meeting of Parliament.
Every one•was more or less interested in the pre •
servation of peace, and he therefore urged all whom
age had not incapacitated to join in the honourable
and patriotic duty of maintaining it. Let every
man who became a volunteer remember .that he
afforded in himself individually a further guarantee
for the security of peace, and that he fulfilled an
honourable and sacred duty in identifying himself
with the volunteer movement. (Cheers.) We could
no longer tolerate these constantly recurring invk
•sion panics—and in order to put an end to them
this velunteer movement must become a permanent
institution of the country, as in Switzerland, the
motto, of whose people should be our snotto—" One
for all, and all for one." (Cheers.)
On the motion of the Rey. T. J. DArxnß,
seconded by Mr. 11. J. SMITH, a resolution was
unanimously passed, that it was desirable to
strengthen the corps as far as possible, and pledging
the meeting to make every exertion to effect that
object.
Mr. A. W. JAFFRAY, an active member of the
corps, in moving a resolution intended to pro-
vide for the additional expenditure of the corps
in the erection of butts and otherwise, urged on
his brother riflemen to devote their attention to
the necessary drill heart and soul, as if an emer-
gency were at hand for actual service, and so give
the lie to the sneer occasionally made, that they
were merely playing at soldiers. If they regarded
the drill merely as a pastime it would not
succeed.
,(Hear, hear.) They should take a lesson
from the Swiss, every .man of whom felt that the
best guarantee of their national independence lay
in his rifle. (Cheers.) In Switzerland all the popu-
lation capable of bearing arms were carefully
drilled. The Swiss could not-afro-id to maintain a
standing army ; 'they were too poor to divert in
'that way any part of the national industry from its
regular channels; therefore the people became the
army ; and so thoroughly organised were they that,
by mewls of the telegraph, they could collect 50,000
men, ,at, any given point of their territory in 24
hours.. Like the Swiss, -every. Mari in England
should have his rifle hung behind his door, and be
always prepared to defend the liberties which we
had inherited from our ancestorseand Which we in-
tended to leaVe unimpaired to those who came after
us. (Cheers.)
The:IIOn; GEORGE DENMAN, M.P., in seconding
the resolution, adverted, amid the laughter of the
meeting, tothe four Liverpool merchants who had
been simple enough to write a letter to the French
Emperor, with a view to obtain an expression of
his-intentions with regard to England. The reply
to_ tligletterUontained a passage which might serve
as a motto for the volunteer' movement—viz., that
great nations should appreciate 'and not fear one
another. (Hear, hear.) It was to do away with the
notion of a rupture between this country and
France, and to teach the French to appreciate us as
we appreciate them, that we had embarked on an
enterprise which had simply for its object the pre-
servation of our hearths and altars. (Cheers.) He
'believed the mischief that would ensue from one
single hostile Frenchman' setting foot on these
r shores was inconceivable. Of that history afforded
'them an example in the landing of a French force of
about 1,400 men at Fishguard, in Pembrokeshire, in
' 1797, who, after remaining there for a day or two,
pillaging and plundering the neighbourhood, were
dispersed by about 600 volunteers, and the sight of
the red petticoats of the Welsh women who assem-
bled on the adjecent hills. (A laugh.) It was stated
ra " Lord Holland's Memoirs," that Mr. Fox, ad-
verting to that circumstance on one occasion, said
people Might laugh at, but the country did not re-
cover from the effects of that descent for 20 years
afterwards.
A working man named SIMES said, great as his
respect was for the aristocracy, he should be sorry
to Join a rifle corps which was not conducted in the
most economical manner. (Hear.) He took that
meeting to be a. recruiting party—(laughter)—but
what he had to say was, that a corps composed of
noblemen and gentlemen was not the one he should
join. He should like to know the cost of joining
this. particular corps. He might be able to stand
half a guinea. (A laugh.) He knew there were
' plenty of young men of his own cldss ready to join
this movement who had as great an interest in the
• country as the chairman himself had. He himself
had as great an interest in his little home, whether
.it consisted only of a kitchen or a garret, as a man
had in his who lived in Grosvenor-square, and he
felt it was his duty to stand up and :protect that
home. (Cheers.) For those reasons he had not yet
made up his mind what corps to join. (Laughter.)
He 'eaa'nted to see these rifle corps made up of the
bone and sinew of the country, and not of men like
some in the Crimea, who, as soon as they saw smoke,
wanted to go home " on urgent private affairs."
(Laughter.)
The CHAIRMAN, after entering into some details
'as to the cost of uniform, &c., with the view to
satisfy the last. speaker, put the resoliitioa, which
was adopted.
At the conclusion of the proceedings a further
donation of £5O from Mr. J. R. Jaffray was an-
nounced.

ST. JAMES'S, WESTMINSTER

The committee for this corps met yesterday, and•
a satisfactory report of progress was made. • Up-
wards of 80 effective members had enrolled film'.
selves, and the amount of the fend was found to be
abode -x40o:, A sub-committee was appointed to
make arrangements for the immediate commence-
ment of drill.

E LLINGTON.
This corps is progressing so ttvourably that the
council have thought it expedient to establish them-
selves in permanent head- quarters at Arnold-house,
Richmond-road, Hackney. Drill has commenced,
Capt. Bond, 85th King's Light Infantry, having
kindly volunteered his services gratuitously for
that purpose.

BRADFORD.
Constant additions are being made to the number