"المحاضر الإيطالية عن الساحل الأفريقي المُطل على البحر الأحمر" [ظ‎‎١‎٢‎٣] (٣٢/٢)

dollars, still unpaid. The Italians were also endea
vouring to purchase Marghiblah, in the interior ( 6 ),
but the local Sultan was said to be afraid to sell it
because of the English G-overnment.*
The interpreter of the Aden Residency at this
time visited the Sheikh of Beilul, whose story was
that an Italian steamer had lately been there three
times, and desired to have an interview with him,
but that he, being afraid, had left the place; that
the Italians wanted some portion of his land, but
that he had refused to give an answer until he got
advice from the English Government, from -whom
he was expecting something; that he and his
people were in a bad way, but that other Sultans
in the vicinity were doing well, as they had sold
portions of their land to the Italian Government,
and were living upon the purchase money.f
At the beginning of September 1880, the Resi
dent at Aden received a letter from one Mahomed
Yareez, nephew and heir to Sultan Burhan of
Raheita (1) and Marghiblah, offering to sell to the
British Government his share of the family posses
sions, which he described as extending “ from the
“ Straits of Bab-el-Mandeb to Dameirah (2), and
144 from thence to Syan and the forests.” The
Resident replied that, so far as Government was
aware, the territory he mentioned was a part of
the Egyptian African possessions and under their
suzerainty or jurisdiction, but that the British Go
vernment would be made acquainted with his
representation. ^
On the 20th September, the boats of Her Ma
jesty’s ship ct Seagull ” found the Italian corvette
“ Ettore Eieramosca ” anchored off Ras Dameirah.
The offfoer in charge of the boats was informed,
through the Somali interpreters, that the Chief of
Raheita was going to sell to the Italians a small
island adjacent, but that the owner of it desired its
purchase by the British Government^
On the 21st January 1881, Ali Pasha Riza,
Egyptian Governor of the Red Sea Coast, made a
report to his Government on a visit he had lately
paid to Assab. || He found there the Italian cor
vette “ Eieramosca.” The settlement consisted then
of five stone buildings and ten barracks, occupying
a space of ground 7,000 metres in extent, beyond
which was the desert. There are only two roads
from Assab to other points; both follow the coast—
one northwards to Beilul, Eid, and Massowah;—
the other, southwards, to Raheita, where it strikes
inland. No direct road leads into the interior.
There is little or no trade. The inhabitants of the
country have a violent hatred against all who are
not Mussulmans, and also against the Sheikh Abd-
Allah Chehem, Chief of the Danakil tribe, credited
with being the cause of the arrival of the Italians,
:and of the people being consequently deprived
of the products (dates) on which they used to
subsist.
Ali Pasha Riza found that, in one way or
another, the Italians had acquired the whole coast
(6.) A short distance from the Italian
settlement.
* India; Secret, No. 203, dated 7th Sep
tember 1880.
f As above.
(1.) South of Assab Bay.
(2.) South of Raheita.
f From Aden ; No. 30, dated 9th Sep
tember 1880.
§ From Aden ; No. 33, dated 6th October
1880.
|| From Foreign Office, 13th July 1881;
No. 492.