'Sheikh Said. Memorandum in Continuation of Departmental Memorandum of 7th March 1893. (With Sketch Map.)' [‎6r] (1/10)

sa
\
O
This document is the property of Her Majesty's Secretary of State for India.
Secret.
1897 .
Sheikh Said.
Memorandum in continuation of Depart
mental Memorandum of 7tk March
1893.
(With Sketch Map.)
Letter from Aden, 19th April 1893,
No. 144.
In accordance with the suggestion contained in
the Memorandum of 1893, Lieutenant-Colonel
E. V. # Stace, First Assistant to the Resident at
Aden, visited Sheikh Said in April of that year and
submitted the following report of his inspection :—
Lieutenant-Colonel Stace’s re- “ I landed on the morning of the 12th instant at Shaikh
port On Sheikh Said, dated 13th Saeed, and walked over the ground as shown by the dotted line
April 1893. in accompanying sketch, and thoroughly examined the whole
position.
“ The hills shown in the sketch are not supposed to be
accurately given, but the positions of Manhali and the Turkish
Fort, Turba, to the west of it, the outline of the coast and the
position of the chief lighthouse, are taken from an Admiralty
chart.
“ For the rest, my purpose is to show two lines of hills—one
running from sea to sea on the north-west of the lagoon, the
other running almost parallel to the other range from Manhali to
a big lumpy hill not far from the fishers’ village.
“ There has been no change in the fort at Turba since it was
described by Captain Abud, Assistant Resident, in 1887 (vide
Confidential Memorandum on Sheikh Saeed, of 7th March last,
accompaniment to 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. Despatch, No. 5, of 17th March
1893).
“ Above the fort are the barracks, and above that again a look
out station on the top of the hill. ,,
“ It seems to me quite plain why the Turks built the barracks,
&c., on the hill (after they formed the intention of occupying the
position).
“ The first idea was to erect a large block-house near the wells.
This was done; it is now in ruins. They did not like the
position below in the plain for various reasons, and finding a good
plateau above placed the battery and barracks there, as more
secure and airy.
“ But why they placed guns in the battery I cannot say; they
only command a part of the narrow straits, as shown by the line
drawn to the lighthouse at Perim ; north of that they do not
command the straits, as the bluffs of Manhali interfere with the
fire. They do not, of course, command the broad straits and are
useless for inland purposes. Probably the placing them there
was a job.
* There were two companies of Turkish 4k ^ here is a common block-house on the spur above Ras Shaikh
troops stationed at Turba. Stace referred Saeed occupied by four* Turkish soldiers as a guard over the
to a detached guard of four men over the shore shore end of the wire from Perim, which is brought into the shed
end of the cable at Ras Sheikh Said. below near the shore.
(Telegram from Resident, 17th May 1893.) “ The line of telegraph runs from the guard-house round the
lagoon, as shown in the sketch.
“ The lagoon has from 1 to 4 or 5 feet of water in it at
places. ^
“ I should consider from the look of the place that the first
occupation by Frenchmen was with the view to making salt.
“It seems to be quite certain that communications have recently
passed between the French Governor of Obokh and Shaikh Thabit
the Shaikh of Shaikh Saeed. I could not see Shaikh Thabit or
his son Awadh bin Thabit, as they were in the interior.
“ I was positively assured that arrangements have been com
pleted for handing over the whole position to the French on the
condition of the cost of all the works being repaid to them.
But I was unable to extract any real reasons for this belief; it is,
however, the belief of all the people.
“ Nor could I ascertain for certain that any communications
have passed between Obokh and the Turkish officials. Whether
Shaikh Thabit had acted as intermediary I cannot yet say.
S. 14. A