The King of Abyssinia has rejected the British offer to
mediate with Italy, and intends, if he can, to expel that Power from Massowah. Rae Monk, his commander-in-chief, is, in fact, hurrying to attack that place with two corps d'armge, probably twenty-five thousand men in alL The Italians, on their part, are determined to keep Massowah, and also to avenge the recent slaughter of four hundred soldiers ; and orders have been issued to despatch air thousand men as reinforcements, thus raising their active force to, we believe, twelve thousand men. The Italian Government repudiate the idea of conquering Abys- sinia; but should they succeed in the field, they will probably impose conditions enabling them to guide the Abyssinian State and monopolise its trade. Their work, however, will be arduous. They will probably win a great battle if Ras Aloula risks one ; but Abyssinia, though she has not been able to keep her natural port, has survived a great many invasions. We reached the capital and dictated peace ; but we retain no more power in the country than if we had never seen it. King John hardly listened to the British Mission.
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