Negoosie, qui, chassé par l'Empereur Theodore du pays de Sangallas, a continué sa fuite à Wogara. Probable est, que là il a appris l'approchement de Mr. Plowden, car ce n'est que par cela qu'il est probable et compréhensible qu'un de ses Chefs (Garred) ait pu se rendre à la rencontre de notre ami près de Gondar, pour se précipiter à l'imprévu sur lui. Défense n'était pas possible. Mr. Plowden a reçu un coup de lance à la poitrine; la blessure était mortelle, néanmoins l'a-t-on enchainé pour le forcer à payer 1,000 thalers, condition à regagner sa liberté, laquelle il a reçu après le payement, pour mourir après l'accident 9 jours.

J'envisage la mort de Mr. Plowden, qui avait toujours travaillé pour le véritable bien de ce pays, comme un très grand malheur publique, touchant les indigènes comme les étrangers. C'est bien difficile à présent qu'en Europe on connaisse tout ce qui passe ici, et que l'on connaisse la vérité des faits; car notre voix, comme venant des particuliers, n'a pas beaucoup de poids et n'ose pas se faire entendre par tout, car nous avons juste raison de craindre la puissance infernale de la part des intrigauts répandant des mensonges sur ce pauvre pays. Plus fin et plus fort que nous, très exercés en machination, la victoire serait à leur côté, malgré que la vérité nous soutienne.

Il n'y avait que Mr. Plowden dont la voix avait pu se faire valoir, car lui était Consul et le seul ici. Autres Consuls et personnes ne connaissant eux-mêmes par propre inspection l'Abyssinie, n'en peuvent parler par ce qu'ils apprennent par ouï-dires qu'ils (nouveaux dans ce pays) envisagent comme vrais sans l'être.

Le malheur de Mr. Plowden a beaucoup affligé l'Empereur Théodore, qui vengera sérieusement son ami. Dejaj Negoosie, à l'approche de l'Empereur, avait pris la fuite de Wogara à Séméné. Au départ de mon messager il allait se sauver à Sahéla, et l'Empereur était en train de lui couper la route en descendant de Wogara à Sabra.

En quelques jours nous en apprendrons le résultat. R. Barroni, Esq.

SCHIMPER.

AGREEMENT between the British and Brazilian Governments for the regulation of the Service of the Official and Private Correspondence conveyed between the two Countries by British Government Vessels, or by Vessels freighted or maintained by the said Government.*-Signed at Rio de Janeiro, January 12, 1853.

(Translation.)

ART. I. The despatches of the Brazilian Government to and * Signed also in the Portuguese language.

GREAT BRITAIN AND BRAZIL.

from its Diplomatic Agents in Lisbon, Monte Video, and Buenos Ayres shall be conveyed by the British mail packets free of all charge for postage.

These despatches, however, are not to exceed the weight of 30 ounces, to or from each of those countries, by any one packet, and should they accidentally exceed that weight the excess only is to be charged with postage. The despatches sent from Lisbon, Monte Video, and Buenos Ayres, shall bear the official seal of the Brazilian Minister or Consul, and shall be addressed to the Minister for The despatches sent from Foreign Affairs at Rio de Janeiro. Brazil shall also bear the official seal of the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

II In consideration of the official despatches which are sent to and from British functionaries in Brazil being conveyed by the Brazilian mail packets free from any charge for postage for the conveyance between Brazilian Ports, the official despatches of the Brazilian Government shall in like manner be conveyed by the British mail packets between any ports in Brazil at which they may touch free from any British postage.

III. Newspapers printed and published in Brazil shall be conveyed from the ports of Brazil by the British mail packets free from any charge for British postage.

In order to enjoy the exemption from postage above mentioned, the newspapers must not contain any writing, and they must be sent in bands or covers open at the sides or ends.

IV. The postage to be charged in the United Kingdom upon every letter not exceeding half an ounce in weight, posted in the United Kingdom and forwarded to Brazil, or brought from Brazil and delivered in the United Kingdom, when conveyed by British Government vessels or by vessels freighted or maintained by order of the British Government, shall be reduced from 2s. 9d., the present amount to 18.; and for letters of greater weight, the charge shall be in conformity to the scale in operation in the United Kingdom for charging inland letters, that is to say, for every letter not exceeding half an ounce, one rate; above half an ounce but not exceeding one ounce, two rates; above one ounce but not exceeding two ounces, four rates; above two but not exceeding three ounces, six rates; above three but not exceeding four ounces, eight rates, and so on; two rates being added for every ounce or fraction of an ounce beyond the first ounce.

letters

V. No postage whatever shall be charged in Brazil upon forwarded from Brazilian ports to the United Kingdom by British Government vessels, or by vessels freighted or maintained by order of the British Government.

Upon every letter not exceeding half an ounce in weight, brought

3L 2

from the United Kingdom and delivered in Brazil, the postage to be charged shall be reduced from 660 reis, its present amount to 240 reis, and letters of greater weight shall be charged in proportion.

VI. The contribution hitherto paid by the General Post Office of Brazil to the British Post Office, in aid of the expense incurred by the latter in maintaining the communication by mail packets between the United Kingdom and Brazil, shall be reduced from 452 reis to 200 reis for each ounce weight of letters conveyed by such packets from the United Kingdom to Brazil.

VII. The postage to be charged by the British Post Office upon every letter not exceeding half an ounce in weight conveyed between any two Brazilian ports by a British mail packet shall be reduced from 1s., the present amount, to 120 reis, or about 34d. sterling; and letters of greater weight shall be charged in accordance with the British scale of progression inserted in Article IV.

VIII. The mails containing the ordinary correspondence forwarded between the ports of Brazil by Spanish mail packets shall be exclusively made up at the General Post Office of Brazil; and the postage due to the British Post Office for the conveyance of such correspondence shall be paid over to the British Packet Agent at the port of despatch, in such manner as shall be agreed upon between the General Post Office and the Agent.

IX. The mails containing the official despatches of the Brazilian Government, forwarded between the ports of Brazil by British mail packets, shall also be made up at the General Post Office of Brazil, separate from the ordinary correspondence alluded to in the preceding Article.

X. The mails as well as newspapers, intended for despatch from any of the ports of Brazil by a British mail packet, shall be delivered at the office of the British packet agent one hour before that appointed for the departure of the packet.

XI. The settlement of the accounts shall take place between the General Post Office of Brazil and the British packet agents stationed at the several ports of Brazil at which the British mail packets touch, and the amount due to the British Post Office shall be paid in the customary manner.

XII. The British mail packets, being considered by the Brazilian Government as merchant vessels, but being the property of a Company represented by a responsible agent at Rio Janeiro, the Brazilian Government, in order to avoid any delay in their departure at the appointed hour engages that the said agent shall be held responsible for any duties or contributions to which the said packets may be liable, or for any fines that may be levied on the commanders of the packets in virtue of the existing fiscal regulations, it being clearly understood that this concession does not relate to any alteration in

the regulations of Brazil actually enforced, or that may be established, to make masters of merchant vessels responsible, and that the concession shall immediately cease whenever the agent of the Company shall refuse to pay any contribution whatever, or fine, for which he may be responsible.

XIII. As soon as the mails are put on board in the ports of Brazil, the British mail packets shall take their departure; they shall not be detained beyond the hour fixed on any pretext what

ever.

XIV. The responsibility of the Agent of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company being recognized, he shall in that capacity receive a Beneplacito from the Brazilian Government, upon the requisition of the Legation of Her Britannic Majesty at the Brazilian Court.

The present agreement is concluded for 4 years from the date hereof, and shall come into operation on the 1st day of April of this year.

It cannot be annulled during such period of 4 years, except by the mutual consent of the two Governments.

If neither Government shall notify to the other, 6 months before the expiration of the said term of 4 years, its wish that the present agreement should terminate at the end of the said term, it shall continue in force for a year longer, and so on from year to

year.

Rio de Janeiro, the 12th day of January, in the year of our Lord 1853.

(L.S.) HENRY SOUTHERN.

(LS.) PAULINO JOZE SOARES DE SOUZA.

MEMORANDUM.

UNDER the authority of official notes exchanged on the 14th October, 1850, between James Hudson, Esq., Her Britannic Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Brazil, and his Excellency Senhor Paulino Joze Soares de Souza, Minister of Foreign Affairs of His Majesty the Emperor of Brazil, the steam packets employed in the conveyance of the mails between Great Britain and Brazil are to enjoy the following exemptions and privileges for the space of 10 years, counted from the arrival of the first packet in the first port of Brazil.

1. They shall be exempted from the duties of anchorage, and from any other duty which may be hereafter established; but in this exemption the duties actually established in favour of the Houses of Charity (Misericordia Hospital) are not comprehended.

2. They shall be exempted from giving entry at the CustomHouses in the ports of Brazil at which they may touch in order to

deliver the mails and land or receive passengers, provided they carry no cargo to those ports, it being the duty of the Guarda Mer (Visiting Officer), when he makes his visit, to permit the disembarkation of the passengers' baggage, and to declare the vessel cleared.

3. In the ports to which they carry cargo they shall be admitted to discharge immediately according to their manifest, and to take on board the fresh cargo which they may have to receive, without being subject to take their turn (escala), having the preference over all other ships in this respect, and in every thing else which is not opposed to the fiscal laws of Brazil.

4. When they have discharged they shall be visited, with the remainder of their stores (sobrecellentes) on board, without being obliged to deposit them in the Custom-House.

5. They may leave Brazilian ports at any hour of the day or night, observing the police regulations of the ports.

In return for the foregoing exemptions, it is stipulated and agreed, that the Brazilian Minister in London may send and receive, by each British mail packet to and from Brazil, letters and despatches, bona fide on the service of his Sovereign, up to the weight of 120 ounces, free from any charge for British postage; this exemption, however, is restricted to the official letters and despatches conveyed between London and Rio de Janeiro, and is not to extend to any letters or despatches which may be conveyed by the British mail packets between intermediate ports.

It has been agreed that the foregoing stipulations are to be observed between the two Governments in addition to those which are contained in the agreement of the 12th of January, 1853.

CONVENTION between the Post Office of Great Britain and the Post Office of Bremen.-Signed at London, December 5, 1862.

THE General Post Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Post Office of Bremen, being desirous of regulating, by means of a new Convention, the communications by post between the United Kingdom and Bremen:

The Undersigned, Sir Rowland Hill, Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Secretary of the General Post Office, furnished with full powers from the Right Honourable Lord Stanley of Alderley, Postmaster-General of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and George Joachim