264 



EGYPT. 



3 000 men, succeeded, after an uninterrupted 

 struggle of five days, in returning to Tajurra. 



Another Egyptian corps, which was destined 

 to extend the Egyptian frontier in the south, 

 occupied on the llth of October Harrar, in the 

 Somauli country. A circular from the Minister 

 of Foreign Affairs, Nubar Pasha, officially in- 

 formed the representatives of the foreign pow- 

 ers of the conquest of the country. It states 

 that the troops which occupied the town, about 

 1,200 in number, left Zeyla on the 19th of Sep- 

 tember, under the command of Eeuf Pasha. 

 The Emir of the country did not await the ar- 

 rival of the Egyptians, but sent his son to meet 

 them and to announce to them his submission. 

 In accordance with his request, he was ap- 

 pointed by the Egyptian Governor as president 

 of a court of justice. Several other tribes, 

 through whose territory the expedition had to 

 march, also announced their submission. The 

 Gallas twice attempted an armed resistance, 

 but were defeated, and sent their wives to sue 

 for peace. The town of Harrar has a popula- 

 tion of about 30,000 persons. The population 

 of the territory consists chiefly of Somaulis, and 

 a mixture of Arabs and Gallas, in all about one 

 and a half million. The population is industri- 

 ous and devoted to commercial pursuits. The 

 country is fertile, and produces, besides all the 

 products of Egypt, myrrh, incense, and an ex- 

 cellent kind of coffee. 



The port of Zeyla, opposite Aden, was in 

 1875 placed under the suzerainty of the Khe- 

 dive of Egypt by the Sultan. Zeyla is situated 

 on the Somauli coast, and is a place of some 

 importance, being the only port on what is 

 known as the Essak coast from one of the two 

 great divisions of the Somauli family, the Essak 

 being again divided into three tribes and has 

 some trade with Mocha and neighboring ports. 

 It is built on a low, sandy point, called Ras 

 Hamar, and consists of a mosque, twelve to 

 fifteen stone houses, and probably two hundred 

 huts, the whole inclosed within a mud wall, 

 which is in a most ruinous state. The popula- 

 tion was, some years ago, something under 

 1,000 souls. Its chief importance lies in the 

 fact of its being considered the port of Harrar, 

 a city larger than Mocha, the capital of the 

 province of that name, from which it is distant 

 eight days' journey for camels. Large vessels 

 cannot, however, approach within a mile of the 

 town, as the anchorage is shallow. The old^ 

 Sheik of Zeyla, Shirmaki, was well known to 

 the officers of the Indian Navy frequenting the 

 coast, and often proved his friendship for the 

 British Government by keeping the peace 

 among his savage and restless subjects, and 

 saving shipwrecked crews. The town is now 

 under the authority of the Scherif of Mocha, 

 who has the power of displacing the Governor, 

 should he think fit, but receives no part of the 

 revenue, the Governor paying a tribute of 750 

 German crowns. 



In November, Egyptian troops occupied the 

 districts of Juba and Kismayo, belonging to 



the dominions of the Sultan of Zanzibar. They 

 disarmed the Zanzibar forces and hoisted the 

 Turkish flag. When they occupied the town 

 of Brava, Mr. Kirk, the British consul in Zan- 

 zibar, who went to seek explanations, was 

 obstructed, in entering the town, by Egyptian 

 troops. As the commandant refused to apolo- 

 gize for the insult, Mr. Kirk threatened to 

 order up the British man-of-war Thetis, and 

 bombard the town. The Egyptian command- 

 ant sent an apology to the consul an hour be- 

 fore the notice of bombardment expired. The 

 Thetis had already taken up her position, and 

 was cleared for action. 



The solemn inauguration of the new Inter- 

 national Court of Appeal, in Alexandria, was 

 held on the 28th of June. The Khedive, who 

 was surrounded by his ministers and other offi- 

 cers of state, delivered an address to the judges, 

 in which he said : 



With the aid of the Sultan and the support of 

 foreign powers, I have been able to install the new 

 tribunal. I rejoice to see around me so many emi- 

 nent and honorable men to whom I can, with every 

 confidence, intrust the administration of justice. 

 1 am convinced that all interests will find in their 

 wisdom perfect security, and that the new tribunal 

 will thus obtain obedience and respect. This is a 

 day that will be marked in Egyptian history as the 

 commencement of a new era ofcivilization. God aid- 

 ing, I am persuaded that the prosperous future of this 

 great work is assured. 



The Khedive then received the congratula- 

 tions of the representatives of foreign powers 

 and the diplomatic body. A reception was 

 held subsequently, which was very numerously 

 attended by the leading members of the bank- 

 ing and commercial community, all of whom 

 offered their congratulations to the Khedive. 

 The success of the scheme for the establishment 

 of the International Court of Egypt has been 

 due in a great measure to the action of the 

 British Government, whose confidence has not 

 only reassured the British subjects abroad, but 

 induced other nations to withdraw their ob- 

 jections. It has long appeared possible to ob- 

 tain the willing submission of the various for- 

 eign communities to a single system of law. 

 The interests of the residents and traders 

 are almost wholly commercial, and no one 

 would have any difficulty in adapting his trans- 

 actions to any reasonable provisions, provided 

 the latter were plainly laid down and consist- 

 ently acted upon. ' In fact, custom has already 

 made particular methods prevalent, and trans- 

 actions are generally carried on in conformity 

 to French law. The real opposition has been 

 to the transfer of power from tribunals which 

 seemed to represent national independence, 

 and the country the jurisprudence of which 

 would be dominant under the new system has 

 been one of the last to accept the change. It 

 is a singular comment upon the international 

 legal condition of the world that the first 

 great step having a truly international and 

 official character, and having for its object the 

 establishment of a permanent court of inter- 



