The Portuguese Government is evidently growing reasonable. The new king,
in his first speech to Parliament, delivered on Thursday, expresses, of course, his determination to guard his " rights " in Africa ; but he does not define his rights, and he does say that he relies on negotiations. His Government has, moreover, given the fire-eating Major Serpa Pinto leave to return to Lisbon, on the ground of his health, which the African climate endangers, and he will be replaced by an officer less inclined to stir up strife. Under these circum- stances, an arrangement should be possible, the grand difficulty in the way being the two Parliaments, which will insist on
discussion. If the negotiations could be kept secret, Lord Salisbury and Senbor Barros Gomez could arrive at a satis- factory compromise in half-an-hour. The Portuguese states- men know quite well that they cannot bar the English access to the North ; and, indeed, in their negotiations with Mr. Johnston gave up the point, only claiming in return too large concessions in Nyassaland. But for the fall of the Brazilian Empire they would be sensible enough, but that untoward event has made them afraid of appearing to concede anything whatever. If they acknowledged that the sun shone in Africa on Englishmen as well as Portuguese, their Republi- cans would accuse them of treason to the honour of Portugal.
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