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'Egyptian Claims to Sovereignty over the Somali Coast.' [16r] (31/62)
The record is made up of 31 folios. It was created in 1876-1879. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
7
* From Foreign Office, 25th November
1876, No. 661.
■(■ From Foreign Office, 16th December
1876, No. 704.
J Despatch from Mr. Vivian, No. 43,
dated 2nd December 1876.
§ To Foreign Office, 27th January 1877,
No. 704.
Lord Salisbury’s views being concurred in by'
Lord Derby,* instructions, in accordance with
them, were sent (24th November 1876, No. 185)
to Mr. Vivian, who, however, found the Khedive
unwilling to enter into the arrangement suggested,f
which His Highness, in conversation on the 2nd
December, said might involve him in responsibi
lities for the suppression of the slave trade, without
any corresponding advantages to Egypt. What he
really wanted was a port on the east coast, some
where near the river Juba. As Her Majesty’s
Government thought that this could not be con
ceded to him until the rights of Zanzibar were
ascertained, he was ready to wait until this was
done, and he would gladly profit by the good offices
of Her Majesty’s Government to this end. Mean
while, however, he was quite ready to give a formal
assurance that Berbera and Bulbar should be
free and open ports, without restrictions or dues of
any kind beyond a charge at the former port for the
use of the new r quays, which he undertook should
not exceed the same charges at Aden, and that at
the other ports along the coast the custom dues
should in no case exceed the treaty limit of 8 per
cent.J
The attitude assumed by the Khedive made the
position somewhat embarrassing, and threatened to
bring the negotiations to a dead lock. The alter
natives seemed to be, (1) to let the whole question
drop, or (2) to accept the Khedive’s proposal and
attempt to settle the Zanzibar boundary at once,
or (3) to press the original proposition upon the
Khedive, with an intimation that, if it was not
accepted by His Highness, Her Majesty’s Govern
ment would be compelled to continue to regard as
independent tbe Somali tribes with whom we had
treaty relations.
Lord Derby having asked for the opinion of the
Secretary of State for India in the matter, the view
ultimately taken by Lord Salisbury was com
municated to the Foreign Office in the following
terms :—§
“ Lord Salisbury learns from Mr. Vivian’s De
spatch, that while the Khedive is willing to give
satisfactory assurances in regard to trade at Bulhar,
Berbera, and other ports along the coast, His
Highness is indisposed to accept, even temporarily,
Cape Guardafui as the recognized limit of his
dominions in that direction, and wishes apparently
to delay the execution of any Convention on the
subject until, through the good offices of Her
Majesty’s Government, the question of the northern
boundary of Zanzibar shall have been settled in a
manner consonant to His Highness’s wishes, in view
to a further extension of his jurisdiction down
along the east coast of Africa.
“ In Lord Salisbury’s opinion, it would be inex
pedient for Her Majesty’s Government to accede to
what appear to be the Khedive’s wishes in this
matter, or to take any steps whatever in regard to
About this item
- Content
A historical memorandum relating to Egyptian claims to sovereignty over the Somali coast, written by A W Moore, Assistant Secretary to the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. , in two parts, submitted 26 February 1876 and 11 October 1879.
The first part of the memorandum provides a historical narrative of events leading from the discovery in June 1870 of an Egyptian warship at Berbera on the Somali coast, with consequent suspicions that the Egyptian Government wished to occupy that place, up to the production of a draft Somali Coast Convention in 1876. The memorandum reproduces correspondence between the Resident at Aden, the Secretary of State for India, and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in which the authors consider the impact of Egyptian and Turkish influence at Berbera on British trade interests at Aden; on the independence of local Somali tribes; and on British efforts to suppress the slave trade. The memorandum also includes the terms by which HM Government agree to recognise Egyptian sovereignty.
Appendices to the first part of the memorandum reproduce several 'Treaty Relations with Tribes on the African Coast' and 'Geographical Notes'.
The second part of the memorandum opens with an account of events which preceded the signing in 1877 of the Somali Coast Convention by the British Government and by the Egyptian Khedive, describing the Khedive's attempts to extend the limit of proposed Egyptian sovereignty as far south as the Juba River, and subsequent British threats to enter into agreements with Somali chiefs independently of the Khedive.
The memorandum goes on to describe renewed discussions in connection with the procedure in Constantinople necessary to give validity to the Convention after it was signed by the Khedive, and reproduces a note issued by the Ottoman Porte, which asserts Turkish sovereignty over the territory covered by the Convention, but falls short of providing assurances against ceding any of that territory to other foreign powers.
The memorandum closes with the reproduction of correspondence discussing the text of a proposed firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). , to be issued by the Ottoman Porte, which would give validity to the Convention signed by the Khedive.
Appendices to the second part of the memorandum reproduce the text of the 'Somali Coast Convention' and an 'Agreement in regard to the Island of Socotra'.
- Extent and format
- 31 folios
- Arrangement
This file is in two parts - the first part consists of a historical narrative (ff 1-9), followed by two appendices (ff 10-12); the second part consists of a historical narrative (ff 13-29), followed by two appendices at the end (ff 30-31).
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 31; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. Pagination: the volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English and French in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/18/B3
- Title
- 'Egyptian Claims to Sovereignty over the Somali Coast.'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:27r, 28r:30v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence