'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.' [‎26r] (51/70)

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of the coast from Massowah to Zeyla, and that
although the French had by their proceedings with
regard to Zeyla recognized the Sovereignty of the
Porte over that place, the officers on board the
French ship of war had purchased from the native
Governor of Tadjoura and Kahaita, for the sum of
10,000 dollars, a place called Obokh, situated half
way between Perim and Tadjoura, and directly
opposite Aden, and nearer to the Straits of Bab-el-
Mandeb than Zeyla. This place they took formal
Mr. Colquhoun, No. 756 ; possession of in the name of the Emperor Napoleon
Junes, 1862. and t i ie French flag. It was further
rumoured that the French were turning their atten
tion again to Edd and Amphylla ; but Mr. Colquhoun
reported that all these places were integral portions
of the Turkish Empire, and were actually fanned
out year by year by the Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. of the Yemen, and he
observed that, when the British authorities in the
Red Sea had endeavoured to induce the Chiefs to
abstain from the Slave Trade they had sheltered
themselves under the pretext that they were Turkish
subjects, and could not sell any portion of their
^ Sovereign's dominions.
In the same year Dr. Beke stated that the French
4 were in treaty with the Akrali Arabs for the purchase
of Little Aden (Jabel Hassan).
Mr. Colquhoun, No. 84, Confidential; In the following year (1863) General Coghlan
May 17, 1863. visited Obokh, and, from inquiries he made of the
"Chief Man" of the place, learned that the people
of Obokh denied the right of the Sultan of Raheita
to sell their country ; that they acknowledged as
their Chief Mahomed Ali, who resided originally at
JBosalee, distant two days'journey; and he had avowed
his intention to oppose French occupation should it
be again attempted. That one moiety of the 10,000
German crowns to be paid to the Sultan of Raheita
had been paid through the agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. of Deenee, an
employe of the Governor ot Zeyla, and that the othei
moiety was still due. That the French had set up two
land marks and placed three buoys to distinguish the
reefs in the harbour, and had then left the place; and
that no sooner had they taken their departure than
the people removed the marks and the buoys, which
led to the rumour that the Donkali inhabitants had
expelled the French by force. That there was no
sign of any intention on the part of the French to
occupy Obokh ; that they had neither material, nor