'Memorandum on the Turkish claim to sovereignty over the eastern shores of the Red Sea and the whole of Arabia; and on the Egyptian claim to the whole of the western shore of the same sea, including the African coast from Suez to Cape Guardafui.' [‎7v] (14/70)

10
pany with Sultan Mahomed bin Mohummed of
Tadjoura, by which it was agreed, among other
things, that the Sultan of Tadjoura would endeavour
to do all in his power to introduce produce into
the interior States of Eiffat, Shoa, and Abyssinia,
and that, in return, the authorities at Aden would
endeavour to encourage interior export trade through
Tadjoura.
The Sultan of Tadjoura also promised not to
enter into any Treaty with any European or other
Power, political or commercial, which might be
detrimental or injurious to British interests, with
out first bringing it to the notice of the British
authorities at Aden ; and, in return, the East India
Company promised " that they would act in no
manner which might have an evil tendency towards
the States of Tadjoura."
At the time of the conclusion of this Treaty a
Deed of Sale of the Island of Mussa (or Mushahh)
was granted by the Sultan of Tadjoura to the British
Government for ten bags of rice.
As these islands (Mussa and another one Aybat)
are those which the Egyptian Government are
anxious that the British Government should vacate
in their favour, it may be useful to give an account
of the circumstances under which they came into
the possession of the English, as well as a short
account of Tadjoura and Zeyla, whose Chiefs con
cluded the Treaty with Captain Moresby for the
cession of the islands.
In July 1840 the political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Aden received
orders from the East India Company in London
to send a ship of war to the Bay of Tadjoura;
Captain Moresby was the officer selected and the
result of his mission, on which he was accompanied
by Sheikh Shumarkee, Sheikh of Berbereh,- and
Hadjee Abdool Russool British Agent at Mocha, is
thus given by him in his official Report:—
" Forty-eight hours after our arrival at Tadjoura, I
came to a speedy settlement on board the f Sesostris/
with the Sultan of that place. Chief of the Donkalee
tribes, by entering into a Treaty with him, and
purchasing an island or islands (for they are two
joined together), called Massarah, for which I gave
him 1,100 German crowns, and thirty-two bags of rice,
besides other presents of small value. The sale of
the island is not mentioned in the Treaty, but drawn