'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.' [‎11r] (21/70)

17
Governor of Zeyla and its dependencies, under the
Burton, p. 20. Ottoman Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. of Western Arabia; but, in July 1855,
he was deposed by the Turkish Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. of Hodeida.
In 1841 the dispute between Turkey and Egypt
was brought to a satisfactory termination.
Zeyla has no harbour. A vessel of 250 tons
cannot approach within a mile of the landing-place ;
Ibid., pp. 15 and 21. ^ ^nd no craft larger than a canoe can ride near the
town. Nevertheless, it commands the adjacent
harbour of Tadjoura, and is by position the northern
port of Aussa, of Haran, and of southern Abyssinia,
Ibid., p, 23. although the feuds of the rulers have transferred the
main trade to Berbereh.
It is said that some twenty years or so ago the
French Agent at Jeddah purchased, from the son of
the Governor of Zeyla, during his father's absence,
Ibid., p. 20. a large store house in Berbereh, but on the return
of the Governor he caused the bargain to be broken
off, knowing, as Captain Burton said, " how easily
an agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. could become a fort."
The reference made to the dependency of Ze^a
on Mocha renders it necessary to revert to the ques
tion of the Turkish claim to sovereignty over the
Yemen, in which province Mocha is situated, and
here it may at once be stated that such a claim has
never been recognized by the British Government;
Page 18 of printed Memorandum on on the contrary, it is well known that the interior of
the Yemen. . , . . , . . . ,
the country is in the possession of various inde
pendent chiefs, and Lord Palmerston stated in 1839
India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. , September 4, 1 839. that Mehemet Ali had no right whatever over the
\ J[nclosure ? J« n e 9. countries possessed by these rulers. But in 1843
the question was fully gone into. It arose out of
the following circumstance :—
Hertslet's Treaties, vol. y, p. 506. On the 16th August, 1838, a Convention of
Commerce and ISTavigation was concluded between
Great Britain and Turkey; and it was stated in
Article VI that it was agreed by the Turkish
Government that the regulations established therein
should be general throughout the Turkish Empire,
whether in Turkey in Europe or Turkey in Asia, in
Egypt, or other African Possessions belonging to the
Sublime Porte, &c.; and a question arose in 1843.
Sir S. Canning, No. 162; whether British merchants at Jeddah were warranted
in refusing to pay the 12 per cent, duty on mer
chandize imported into Jeddah from the Yemen,
Abyssinia, and other adjacent countries over which
the Sultan asserted a right of sovereignty.
[201] F
August 1, 1843.