አፄ ዮሐንስ የትግሬ ግዛት እስከ መረብ መሆኑንና ወልቃይት ትግሬ አለመሆኑን ያሰፈሩበት ደብዳቤ (አባ ኮስትር በላይ)

From Yourness, King of Kings, of Ethiopia and all its dependencies.

I was very happy when I heard that you had received my letter and presents sent by my envoys, and again I was very very happy when I received your letter, signed and sealed by your own hand, and the good presents which you sent me in 10 boxes by your servant Captain Prideaux, which were sent from Aden by Steamer to Massowah, he sent me word that there was another box of cartridges left at Aden, but that he would send it, and I was very very happy. You know the history of Ethiopia; there was in ancient times a man called Mahomet (Grian) a Mahometan who headed a rebellion in our country, he killed the Christian King and the Christian people, and burned all the churches, and drove many Christians into the desert-Now there is a province in my kingdom called Azobo Galla, the people of which are Mahometans, but they are my subjects; in this province a rebel rose against me, and I went to subdue him, and by the power of God, I conquered him, and he was killed, and while I was away, Ishmail Pasha sent me a letter telling me that he was King, and that Munzinger Bey was his Governor of half of Tegre, from the river Mereb, and of all my provinces, which are round Ethiopia, and he had many troops-You know also the Shankallas, who killed Mr. Thomas Powell, one of your subjects with his wife and child, they also killed my merchants from Tegre to Walkick, and from Walkick to Tegre, and everyone that went and came, and all the priests, and then I sent one of my Generals as Governor over them, and to punish them; afterwards Ishmail Pasha wrote to me a letter in this manner ; ‘ Send me your servant the Governor, that I may punish him as I like, or else punish him yourself.’
Some time ago you sent me a letter giving me some good advice, and I following your advice, was quietly staying in my country, when Wag-Shum Gobezee came to my city Adwa with all his army, to fight me, but by the power of God I have beaten him, and made him and all his army prisoners, and now he is with me, and all his chiefs-Now judge, I pray you, the bad work of Ishmail Pasha against me, and my country, for I have never done him any injury or interfered in his affairs; and I have no better friend or relation amongst all the European Sovereigns than you, for a true Christian is a Christian’s relation. From the time of Mahomet (Grian) until this day the Ethiopian Kings have become weaker and weaker, but the Mahometans have become stronger and stronger, and they are not contented with the country that they already possess, but now they want to take all Ethiopia-Before this time, I had a great hope that my countries which were taken by the Mahometan’s power many years ago would have been given back to me again by the English power, but now the Turks wish to get the whole of Ethiopia that is in my hands. I have written all these things to you in order to gain your advice, because I do not wish the Christian blood to be shed for nothing.
I have sent to you this letter by one of your subjects whom I trust, named General Kirkham, and as I am in great anxiety I have asked him to bring me the answer as quickly as possible; and now I pray you to do me one great favour, and to send me a man of good character to witness how I am oppressed by Ishmail Pasha and I will pay him his salary; I have another thing to say to you: there is a picture called Qurata Rezoo, which is a picture of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and which was found with many books at Magdala and is now in England.
If it is possible, please to send me this picture, it is surrounded with gold, and in the midst with colours, also a book called Kivera Negust, containing the whole of the laws of Ethiopia and the names of the Shums (Chiefs) and Churches, and Provinces. Let me tell you another thing, the Bishop of the Roman Missionaries said ‘Let us teach you our Religion’ and I answered him ‘I am baptized in the name of the Trinity, and I believe Christ and the Gospel, and my Teacher is the Bishop from Alexandria, sitting on the throne of Saint Mark the Teacher of my people.’ All the priests are ordained by him, and I have many churches, and I said ‘ if you like to teach you have in this world many heathens and unbelievers who are not baptized in the name of the Trinity, and who do not believe in Christ and the Gospel-teach these people as you can- now this is why they brought Wag-Shum Gobezee against me. See now and judge in what state I am placed. Amen.
Translated by the King’s interpreter to General J. C. Kirkham; by order of Yourness, King of Kings of Ethiopia, at Adwa, on the tenth day of August, 1872.”