'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.' [‎28v] (56/70)

52
succession au Khedivat d'Egypte et Je ses depen-
dances, ainsi que des Caimacamats de Souahin et
de Massowa avec leurs dependances, passera a ton
fils, et apres lui, conformement & la loi de primo
geniture, de aux fils ain^s ceux qui seront Khedives."
What those dependencies were, are not defined ;
but, previous to the issue of the Firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). of 1873
(that is in 1870), an Egyptian Governor was
appointed over the coast from Suez to Cape
Guardafui.
The Turkish Government upon this were re- To Lord Lyons, No. 31 ;
quested to give to its authorities such instructions Au g ust 1866.
as would secure native boats trading between the Lo ri L> o 0 c ns ',^' 312 '
. & May 25, 1866.
African Coast and Aden from future molestation. ^ T , T v , ,
To Lord Lyons, No. *51;
Colonel Mere wether had recommended that the December 9, 1866.
Turkish Government should be called upon to
" desire their authorities " to abstain from interfering
with places outside the Straits of Bab-el-Mandeh,
except Zeyla and Tadjurah, but Her Majesty's
Government did not concur in this suo-gestion.
In July 1867, the Cabinet resolved to send an
Expedition to Abyssinia to enforce the release of 19th and 20th August, 1867,
the British captives, and as it was believed that it
would be necessary for the troops to pass through
Ottoman or Egyptian territory, facilities were asked September 3, 1867.
for that purpose from Turkey and Egypt. The
Porte at first asked for the territories to be distinctly
specified beforehand ; but this was not pressed, and October 3, 1867.
eventually the necessary facilities were granted by
the Viceroy of Egypt, and the Sultan granted
permission for British troops to pass through the
<tf Ottoman Empire." The Expeditionary force
landed at Mulkutto near Zeyla, in Annesley Bay.
It was reported in the early part of the year Sir ^ P a g et 'No. 50;
^ ^ r J March 2, 1870
(March 1870) that the Italian Government had an
intention of establishing a penal settlement on the
Coast of Abyssinia; but it was denied by that
Government. It was, however, stated that an
Italian Company intended running a line of
steamers from Genoa through the Suez Canal to
India, China, &c.; that it was desirous of establish
ing a coal depot somewhere on the western coast
of the Red Sea; and that an Italian frigate, which
was then at Alexandria, would possibly lend assis
tance to the Company in the object they had in
view ; but in July a telegram was published stating No. 7, July H, 1870.
that—