Turkey’s Activities in the
course of action in the event of such a purchase. He was also to state whether circumstances had become such so as to make the immediate establishment of an Agency at Berbera desirable.
On February 11, 1870 General Russell reported that the Turkish man-of-war Khartoum, commanded by Mahomed Jemal Pasha, had landed troops at Berbera. In his report he further stated that the Khartoum had re-embarked and proceeded to Bulhar on hearing that the seasonal fair was being held at Bulhar. The Resident had no precise information of the action taken by the Turks on this occasion. Later on March 4, he intimated that the Bey of the Egyptian Government had returned to Berbera, that it was his intention to remain there and keep pos-session of the sea-coast territory of Berbera and Bulhar.
General Russell added that he was about to send Her Majesty’s Ship Sind to the spot to keep a watch on the happennings and to prevent, if possible, the tribe from committing their kingdom to Moslem rule.
The Bombay Government was instructed by the Government of India to ask the officers of the Sind to confine themselves simply to observing. They were not to interfere without authority.
On February 25, 1870 General Russell reported that the Sind had returned to Aden. On board was the Resi-dent’s Agent, one Subedar Mohamed, a member of the Somali Habr Gerhajis tribe. He stated that the Bey, Mohamed Jemal, had indicated that he had been deputed by his Government to settle the Somali dispute. “The Somalis”, wrote Russell, “seemed to be much taken by the display made by the Bey, who paraded his men with band playing.”
“I now write to urge that a vessel-of-war be sent to present British interests.” General Russell also expressed in forcible terms the detrimental effect on Aden should any foreign power obtain a footing on the Somali coast.
The Government of India allowed for a British ship-of-war to cruise by occasionally, looking in at Berbera in an incidental way. It however felt that it would be both unnecessary and inexpedient to send an armed vessel to Berbera with the express purpose of countering the Turks.
On March 8, 1870 the British Resident at Aden once again sent Agent Mohamed on board the Sind to Berbera to watch the events, and to ensure that the Somalis continued to be friendly to the British. Mohamed was to tell the Somalis “that we (the British) did not want their country, but that they had an agreement for friendly relations with us, which it was not desirable to disturb.”
The British Agent Subedar Mohamed landed on the evening of the 9th, and all went well with him and his party until the morning of the 15th, when they were attacked by the Somalis, and several were severely woun-ded on both sides. One Somali was among those who were killed. The Commander of the boat Sind quelled the disturbance, and tried to ascertain the cause of the “out-rage”, but owing to the difficulty in procuring evidence, he learnt little or nothing. Two rumours purporting to account for the outrage were current first that the Turks had incited the attack to get rid of the English, saying that the British desired to seize Berbera; and second that the Subedar Mohamed intended to set himself up as Governor.
On April 8, the Resident forwarded the report of Subedar Mohamed. He had learnt that the tribes had no intention of surrendering their country, and had indeed professed their readiness to fight for their independence.
The Turkish Commander stated that he had no authority to purchase Berbera, or to take possession of it; but was merely there as Commodore of the Red Sea Squadron, and to look after Egyptian interests. He expressed himself as heartily sick of the Somalis, as they were continually quarrelling, and had told him that they looked upon the
Sultan and not the Viceroy of Egypt as the head of their religion.
Both the British and Turks scrambled for Berbera each one claiming that it belonged to them. The Bey distinctly stated that the country belonged to the Sultan, seeing that the Turkish flag flew over it. While General Russell informed the Bey in reply that he had no know-ledge of Berbera being a Turkish possession. He pointed to the fact that the country was blockaded by the British in 1855-56, and that had the country belonged to the Sultan, the British Government would not have made an independent treaty with the Somalis, and the Sultan would have taken some notice of the blockade of his ports.
The Resident requested the Bey to take no action at Berbera and Bulhar, until an understanding was arrived at between the British and Turkish Governments. The British claimed that no Turks ever visited Berbera prior to the year 1866; that the Pasha who then visited the place gave a flag to an old man, who with a few other was there on guard, the tribes having gone into the interior.
The British Resident pointed out that “the fact of a Somali, or even one of the tribes of the Somali, having taken the flag did not render the country under the rule of the Porte, nor did the Somalis so understand it.”
Russell suggested that the facts of the case should be laid before the Sultan’s Government by Her Majesty’s Government, who should protest against the country being taken under the rule of the Viceroy of Egypt. He also suggested the Subedar Mohamed should be stationed at Berbera with a small guard to watch British interests.
Russell wrote in a letter :
“The Subedar Mohamed belongs to the Somali Habr Gerhajis tribe, and has for the last twenty years been confidentially employed in dealing with the Somalis at Berbera and Bulhar and the African Coast. He is highly intelligent, and knows the people so well that I considered
he would be the best person to send, and I still think so”.
Describing the Somalis, the British official said in the same report: “As before reported, the difficulty in dealing with these Somalis is that each individual acts for himself and his family and friends support him in a broil without thought or consideration. They have no control over themselves or each other.”
He went on to say: “It has happened at Berbera that even child having been beaten, its cries have attracted notice, and the multitude rushed up; and the first action is a spear delivered, and then a general melee.”
In compliance with British Government Resolution No.1113 of the 7th April 1870, General Russell sent what he called “a confidential Native Agent” to Berbera in the Bombay Marine Steamer Sind, “to watch the action of the Turks, and to frustrate, if possible, the cession of the ports of Berbera and Bulhar to them, as they were, from in-formation on which I placed some reliance, about to take these ports under their (Turkish) rule.”
According to Russell’s report,* “the Pasha in his letter declares that “the ports of Berbera and Bulhar, and surrounding Districts, are under the Government of the Sultan, and the people are his subjects; that there can be no cause for taking the country for the Turks, for the Turkish flag, it is known, is over the country; that he found the flag of the Porte with them,” and, finally that he visited Berbera and Bulhar at the request of the Somalis to settle their disputes.”
By despatch No. 104, dated 10th June 1870, a sum-mary of the facts of the case was sent to the British Secretary of State by the Aden Resident with the following remarks:
“Whatever the intentions of the Turkish or Egyptian Government may be, we are aware of no adequate grounds on which it can claim the Somali territory as part of its
* Foreign Department, No. 74-467, dated Aden, the 21st April 1870, NAI, New Delhi.
dominions. We have had relations with the Somalis as an independent tribe ever since 1827, in which year we concluded a Treaty of peace and friendship with them, under the terms of which any vessels bearing the English flag may enter and leave any of their ports for the purpose of trade without impediment, injury, or molestation. A similar Treaty was concluded in 1856, and we have in the meantime intimated to the Bombay Government our opinion that the rights and privileges which we have secured by these Treaties cannot be affected by any arrangements which the Turkish or Egyptian authorities may make with the Somalis.
“Pending the instructions of Her Majesty’s Govern-ment, we have issued strict injunctions to the Resident at Aden to refrain from any course of action which may tend to complicate affairs. We have desired that no direct correspondence with Turkish or Egyptian officials may be held in regard to this question, and we have thought it best for the present to withhold our sanction from the Resident’s proposal to depute Subedar Mohamed to Berbera.”
In 1870 it was rumoured that the Viceroy of Egypt had appointed Momtaz Pasha Governor of all the African Coast from Suez to Cape Guardafui, including Bulhar and Berbera.
In February 1871 the Egyptians again visited Berbera.
In the following month the Egyptians visited Bulhar with a view to ingratiate themselves with the Somalis They gave a number of presents to the Chiefs. The British Resident at Aden despatched Subedar Mohamed to the spot “to watch events and furnish reliable information.”
Towards the end of September 1873, the British Resident at Aden despatched Her Majesty’s Ship Dal-housie to Berbera having heard the Egyptians were again there. Captain Redhwan Bey, of the Egyptian Corvette Arkha, offered the Commander of the Dalhousie
assistance “as if the territory belonged to the Egyptians.”
And it was about this time October 22, 1873 a Reuters telegram stated that the Egyptian Government had ami-cably arranged with the natives to build and occupy a fort at Berbera. The Government of India on this occasion urged the Secretary of State to intimate the wishes of Her Majesty’s Government in respect to the policy to be adopted.
There were no further instances during 1873 which showed the anxiety of the Porte to obtain a footing at Berbera. Redhwan Bey himself informed the Aden Poli-tical authorities that his Government intended to es-tablish a permanent garrison at Berbera, and he himself had done much to settle the constantly occurring tribal disputes. The Ayal Yunis of Bulhar having plundered the Ayal Ahmed of Berbera, Redhwan Bey obtained resti-tution for the sufferers under threat that he would blockade Bulhar if the Ayal Yunis failed to give up their plunder. The blockade of a Somali port was a measure which had only hitherto been exercised by the (British) Government of India. By the end of the year 1873 the occupation of Berbera by the Egyptian was looked on as a fait accompli, and no secret was made of the intention of the Khedive to permanently locate troops there. An at-tempt was to be made by the Egyptian to supply Berbera with fresh water by the construction of an aqueduct from the Doobar Hill, seven miles off. The Egyptians were anxious to induce merchants to settle at Berbera under protection, and a careful registry of all exports was being made, so that its capabilities as a trading port might be ascertained.
In 1873-74 the British Government took up the minor question of the Egyptian interference at Berbera and also the larger one into which it had gradually merged, viz., the Egyptian claim to sovereignty over the Somali Coast from Suez to Cape Guardafui.
On July 7, 1879, the British Ambassador at Cons-tantinopole, Sir Henry Layard, reported to his govern-ment that the Minister for Foreign Affairs informed him that the Porte had telegraphed to Tewfik Pasha “to take possession of coast between Zaila and Ras-al-Hafoon to hoist Ottoman flag, to constitute administration, to send functionaries, and not to permit any foreigners to settle there; and that arrangements as to the future government of coast will be made hereafter.”
Nearly a week later, on July 13, 1879, the Ambassador again telegraphed from Therapia to his government that he received an answer on the Somali coast question. He wrote: “It states that Porte considers that authority of the Sultan should be established at once over that country, so as not to permit any foreign influence from taking ad-vantage of present state of things. Consequently Tewfik Pasha has been directed by telegraph to take possession of it in the name of the Sultan, and to prevent any foreign authority from being established in it on any pretext whatsoever. Subsequently, as province of Somali has never formed part of possessions ceded to Egypt, an understanding will have to be come to with the Khedive for its administration. Minister for Foreign Affairs gives positive assurance that in coming to that understanding nothing will be omitted to satisfy intentions of Her Majesty’s Government indicated in Convention and which have been referred to (the) decision of the Porte. Is this answer sufficient?”
But only a day later the Ambassador sent the follow-ing short telegram in which he reported: “Minister for Foreign Affairs says that note on Somali question, of which I telegraphed you yesterday, was sent (to) me by mistake, and has withdrawn it.”*
* Foreign Department-Secret-E., December 1879, Nos. 197-217—Telegrams Nos. 529 dated 7th, 544 dated 13th and 548 dated 14th July, 1879-NAI, New Delhi.
Lord Salisbury forwarded a Memoranda to the Earl of Derby with special reference to the clauses of the Treaties with the Chiefs of Tajoura and Zaila, in which they promised not to enter into any bond or Treaty with other powers detrimental to British interests, adding that he
“would not be disposed on a full consideration of all the circumstances of the case, whether as regards the sup-pression of the slave-trade or British Indian interests in general, to promote any measure which might encourage or facilitate the extension of Egyptian power along the African sea-board beyond the Straits of Babel Mandeb.”
In the meantime the Government of India by despatch No. 184 dated October 9, 1874,* had informed Lord Salisbury that “it appears to us advisable that some amicable understanding should be come to with the Porte or the Khedive in regards to the commercial and other advantages which we wish to preserve at Berbera and elsewhere, and that so long as these are maintained we should not oppose the extension of the Turkish or Egyp-tian power on the African Coast. Indeed, if the establish-ment of other European powers on the African Coast of the Gulf of Aden be deemed disadvantageous to our interests, there would, in our opinion, be less likelihood of such powers obtaining a footing on those coasts where the country is consolidated under the Egyptian rule, than while it remains parcelled out among a number of bar-barous tribes.”
General Stanton, Her Majesty’s Consul General, in Egypt, gave an opinion similar to that of the Government of India. On September 15, 1874 he submitted a report reviewing the situation of the case and setting forth the advantages which would accrue from an Egyptian oc-cupation of Somali land. He declared the Egyptian policy of the present to be an enlightened one, and that amongst
* Foreign Department, NAI, New Delhi.
the benefits to be derived from the Khedives’ occupation of Berbera would be found the suppression of the slave-trade and the exclusion of other powers from the Somali territories. He therefore proposed “that both for political and commercial reasons, as well with a view to the suppression of the East African slave-trade, the right of the Egyptian Government to the Somali country should be recognised by Her Majesty’s Government under the conditions that Berbera and the other ports on the coast should be declared free; that facilities should be given for opening up commercial relations between Abyssinia and the Egyptian ports, and that the Egyptian Government should enter into a formal engagement to prohibit the export of slaves and to use every endeavour to suppress the slave-trade within the territory.”
Captain F.M. Hunter arrived at Bulhar on November 17, 1874 and next day visited Berbera where he found an Egyptian man-of-war lying there. The Egyptian flag was flying over little stone fort on shore. Berbera was under the control of Pasha Redhwan. Hunter was received by the Pasha and during the meeting he handed over a letter from the British Resident at Aden. The letter regarded the blockade of Bulhar by the Turks and Captain Hunter reported: “He read it out aloud to his officers, and at once said that it was solely for the benefit of trade that he had closed Bulhar, as it was an open roadstead, and good(s) could not be shipped without the risk of their getting wet;
that now all merchants were pleased and conducting their business with advantage at Berbera. “I then pointed out”
said Hunter, “ we had Treaties of commerce with the Somalee tribes on that coast, who wished and were ready to trade at Bulhar as in former years, and that the closing of that place of export had affected the price of ghee at Aden”; and I added, “as directed, that the Resident had received no intimation that Her Majesty’s Government acquiesced in the occupation by His Highness the Khedive
of the African ports and bunders eastward of Zaila”.
Hunter said: “Many Somalees, whom I conversed with, expressed much dissatisfaction at the present condi-tion of things, and made offers of defying the Egyptian authorities if we would support them, but I had no autho-rity to listen to such overtures and avoided discussing the matter with them at all.”
The British Assistant Resident at Aden, Captain Hunter, claimed that the following petition was sent to him by Derya Kallila (sic):
“Translated purport of a petition from Derya Kallila to Captain F.M. Hunter, Assistant Resident, Aden, no date, received 5th December 1874:
“We, Ayal Yoonus, have four sub-tribes, Hosh, Shirdone, Gedeed, and Mahmood. Know O friend, that our country is Bulhar, and since the last four months we have been oppressed by the Turks. We have committed no offence, nor have we taken aught from the Turks, nor from the English. Now these Turks have stopped our country and prevented us from going to Aden. Be it known to you that we have merchandise to bring to Aden, and all our necessaries are from Aden. Now the Turks have prevented all buggalows coming to us. We are in hopes that you would show yourself in our favor. You know all kafilas come from Abyssinia and Harrar and Ayadayu to Bulhar. When you came to us we were very glad, and thought that you would come to see us and ask about us.
Your servant came to us, and we thought you would land in the morning, but we found that you had gone after we had collected to meet you. We sent some of the Akkal to you at Berbera, but they reached after your departure from that place. Now we send one of them to you to tell you all our important news. We have told him to take four more men from those of our tribe in Aden. We will agree to what these men say. We know that you wish only peace, and you know that in the time of Captain Playfair, he told