'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.' [‎34r] (67/70)

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for commerce, as well as for pastoral pursuits; and
that, if this was not done, the tendency to become a
negro slave-buying and slave-holding people would
rapidly increase. But it should be mentioned to
their credit, that there are two recent instances on
record in which British ships have been stranded on
their coast without being molested by the natives,
but, on the contrary, meeting with kind treatment
at their hands.
3. And, lastly, with regard to the Slave Trade.
Berbereh, Zeilah, and Tadjurah are the chief
ports outside the Straits of Babelmandeb; and
Massowah and Suakin are the chief ports within
the Red Sea from which slaves are exported.
It sllould not, however, be forgotten that the
Chiefs of Berbereh have concluded Treaties with
this country (in 1827 and 1856), by which they
have engaged to suppress the Slave Trade, and to
receive a British Resident.
Page 239 of Confidential Paper of In alluding to this subject, Sir B. Frere, in his
May 29, 1873. report of the 29th May, 1873, said :—
" Besides the slaves thus brought to Egypt there
is a large and increasing trade through the Red Sea
ports. Some are brought to Massowah occasionally
from the upper affluents of the Nile, and some
times by sea from the south. From Massowah and
its neighbourhood they are sent, as opportunity
offers, northwards to Lower Egypt, Turkey, &c., or
across the Red Sea to the Hedjaz and Yemen.
" The southern ports, including those just outside
the Straits of Babel-Mandeb, the Somali ports of
Zeila, Tajura, &c., which were formerly compara
tively free from the Slave Trade, and with the rulers
of which we have agreements binding them not to
engage in the trade, have of late years become
regular and considerable slave-marts, to a degree
which renders them impatient of the presence of
travellers whom they believe to be likely to denounce
the Slave Trade to the British authorities at Aden."
He then stated that previously Zeyla and Tadjurah
May 29, P 1873. were regularly visited by the cruizers of the Indian
navy and that the agreements of the chiefs to abstain
from Slave Trade were then fairly expressed; but that,
since the abolition of the Indian navy, this duty had
been imperfectly performed, and the use of the
Ottoman flag had afforded the Chief of Zeyla and
his people facilities for evading examination ; and
[201] S