'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.' [‎21v] (42/70)

38
Commodore Blanket was authorized to take posses
sion of it, but did not do so. The Sultan of Kisseen
on the Arabian coast, is the acknowledged Sovereign
of the island.
" For the above reasons it is of importance that
foreign influences should be excluded from the
island. Sir C. Wood, therefore, concurs in opinion
with the Earl of Malmesbury, that steps should be
taken to dissuade the proprietor of Socotra from
selling the island to the French, and he will accord
ingly address 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 and 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. , on the subject."
In July following, the question of the purchase of Sir H. Bulwer, No. 19.
the island by the French was again spoken of, but
SirH. Bulwer was informed that the island belonged
to the Sultan of Kisseen, and that steps would be
taken by the British authorities in India to prevent
the proprietors from selling it to the French.
Simultaneously with the question of laying the To Mr. Colquhoun, No. 2;
T , . c ■ September 29, 1859.
telegraph to India, arose the question of erecting
lighthouses in the E-ed Sea, and in September 1859,
it was decided to erect them at Suez, at Abdul
Kheesan, or Dasdalus Shoal ; and Usteraffa or
Isihaffa Reef, with a beacon on Shed wan in the
Straits of Jubal. These places are marked on the
accompanying map. Ma P*
In announcing this decision to the British Agent
in Egypt, he was told that it was believed that these
places were within the limits of the Pashalic of
Egypt, but, that in order to . guard against any
objections being raised by the Porte, Her Majesty's
Ambassador at Constantinople had* been directed to
obtain the formal sanction of the Sultan to the
construction of lighthouses in those places, which
was at once granted.
In this same year (1859), the French Consular Nos. 675 and 698.
Agent at Aden was drowned in crossing from
Hodeida to Tadjourah in a native boat belonging to Burton, p. 26.
the Port of Zeilah, outside the Straits of Bab-el-
Mandeb; and the course adopted by the French
on that occasion indirectly raised the question of
sovereignty over Zeilah.
The Governor of Zeilah was accused of havino:
instigated the natives to murder M. Lambert ;
Captain Playfair and Captain Sherard Osborn pro- Qy. Brigadier Coghlan; see
ceeded to the spot, and after making the most
careful examination into all the circumstances of the