APPENDICES 331 



an Italian sphere of influence, Sayed Ahmed was fully occupied in 

 the north. 



When the Italians landed in Libya in 1911, there existed a 

 kingdom within a kingdom and the Turks were only masters in 

 name. They were almost as much despised as the Christians by 

 the ascetic confraternity of Sidi Ben Ali, who held themselves 

 entirely aloof from the Ottoman Government. 



Therefore when Sayed Ahmed definitely allied himself with 

 Turkey, he departed from the fundamental principle of his Order. 

 He was persuaded by Enver Pasha to allow the tribes to take part, 

 Under Turkish leadership, in the long-drawn-out guerilla warfare 

 which was so successfully carried out that, in 1914, Ital}' was left 

 in possession of the coast towns of Tripoli and Cyrenaica only, 

 while the interior was in the hands of the Senussi. 



This material success was counter-balanced, however, by the 

 dissolution of Senussi entity. The principle of religious detach- 

 ment for which the Order had originally stood had disappeared 

 and the confraternity had resolved itself into a political weapon in 

 the hands of Turkey. From this standpoint it was but a short 

 step to the declaration of war against Egypt. 



At no period was Sayed Ahmed really anti-British, because he 

 knew that Britain had no interests to serve in Libya. Moreover, 

 she facilitated his trade with Egypt, a vital point for the welfare of 

 the Beduins, for the Cyrenaican ports were already closed to them. 



Mannismann and Nouri Pasha, respectively German and Turk- 

 ish agents, provided arms, ammunition and money, while holding 

 before the Senussi sheikh the idea that the Egyptian Beduins would 

 all join him, and that he would be the ruler of Egypt, yet, in spite 

 of Teuton organisation and of a widely preached Jehad, it is 

 doubtful if the Senussi could ever have put in the field more than 

 4,000 men. 



Sayed Ahmed established his headquarters at Bir Waer and 

 the Egyptian Coastguards, under Mohammed Saleh, were per- 

 suaded by religious fanaticism to join him. 



Jaafer Pasha, a keen and capable soldier, an Arab from Bagh- 

 dad, trained in German methods, was in command of the Senussi 

 troops. 



The Tara was sunk on November 5, .1915, and her crew sent as 

 prisoners to the desert. 



Solium, under the command of Colonel Snow Bey, of the Egyp- 

 tian Coastguards, was evacuated in the same month, and as the 



