'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.' [‎19r] (37/70)

33
settlement should be formed, and whether it would
not be possible to induce the Porte to consent
to the transfer of the island of Massowah to
Abyssinia, which would give the Abyssinians access
to the Red Sea, and bring them into contact with
civilization.
This suggestion met with the approval of Lord
Clarendon, and Lord Stratford was instructed to
advise the Porte to enter into an arrangement for
the transfer of Massowah, which appeared to be of
no importance to Turkey, and which it was thought
she would not be able to protect, in the event of the
operations contemplated by the Ruler of Abyssinia
being carried into effect. But owing to the turn
which matters took in Abyssinia, no further steps
were taken in the matter.
On the 30th March, 1856, a Treaty of Peace
between the Allies and Russia was signed at Paris,
whereby the territorial integrity of the Ottoman
Empire was guaranteed, but what that " territory "
comprised was not defined.
It may here be well to say a few words about the
Island of Pjiim.
In November 1856 it was proposed that the
Government of Bombay From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions. should take possession of
the Island of Perim, situated at the entrance of the
Red Sea.
In August preceding Brigadier Coghlan, Political
Resident at Aden, drew up a report on the island, in
which he stated that, in the event of the projected
ship canal through the Isthmus of Suez being
accomplished, the occupation of Perim would assist
British preponderance in that quarter, which it was
so desirable should be maintained.
He also said that the French had surveyed the
island, and that the Trench Government were re
commended to occupy it ; but Brigadier Coghlan
remarked that, if the place was in the hands of the
English, it would extinguish the extensive slave traffic
then being carried on between Zailah, Tadjoura,
the Zanzibar Coast, and the ports of Yemen; and
that a small, inexpensive naval establishment at that
point would suffice to watch the straits and search
every vessel passing either way.
With regard to the sovereignty over the island, he
stated that it was occupied by the British troops
when en route to and from Egypt at tne com-
[201] K