FRENCH SOMALILAND. French So maliland is situated on the east coast of Africa to the- north and the south of the Bab-el-Man deb straits; it is bounded at the north by the Ras-Doumeirah, which separates it from the Italian possessions, at the south by a line run ning from the Haadou wells to Gueldeissa, which separates it from British Somaliland, and on the west by Abyssinia. The French first set tled in Obock in 1858, following a voyage under taken by M. Henri Lambert, French consular agent at Aden, to Zeilah and the Bay of Tad jourah to purchase a port at the entrance to the Red Sea in anticipation of the opening of the Suez Canal. Ibrahim Abou-Becker, one of the principal chiefs of the country, whom he rescued from the Sultan Hodeidhah's prison during this voyage, offered, as a recompense for this service, to cede to France the tern tones of Obock. Unfortunately M. Henri Lam bert was murdered near the Mushah Isles on 4 June 1859, and his work was only taken up again two years later by Capt. Fleunot de Langle. This officer entered into negotiations with Ibrahim Abou Becker, punished the mur derers of Henri Lambert, and drew up the treaty of 11 March 1862 which gave France the port of Obock and the territory situated be tween Ras Doumeirah and Res Ali in consider ation for a sum of 10,000 thalers. The early stages of the colonies were extremely modest, comprising a police station, a few native huts and an improvised jetty—this was during the first year of occupation in 1883. But little by little, thanks to the merchants, shopkeepers, na tive traders and the inhabitants of Obock who all helped in the effort to develop the country, there sprang up on this hitherto uncultivated and desert plateau, a little city, peopled by 4,000 to 5,000 souls, active and enthusiastic, and this city was full of vitality in 1895. It soon be came evident that Djibouti, on account of its port, was best suited for navigation and was capable of linking up business relations with Abyssinia. Djibouti was accordingly officially made the capital in 1896.
The coast is flat, dry, mo notonous, formed of hardened sand cliffs with waterless rivers. In the centre is the Bay of Tadjourah with the port of Obock which is merely a hamlet of a few hundred inhabitants; the small station of Tadjourah, the watering stations of Amabo and Sagallo to the north of the bay, and Djibouti at the south. In the interior, up to a line parallel to the coast and distant about 90 kilometers (61 miles), where the French hinterland finishes, small plateaux are found, and farther on is an undulating country with hills leading to the heights of Harrar and between which is the Aouache.
The climate is of an extreme dryness (not however unhealthful) ; sunstroke only is to be feared, but it is easy to take pre cautions against it. Thanks to the railway, it is possible to go from Djibouti to Dire-Daotia in eight hours, thus enabling the inhabitants to get a breath of fresh air and take a few days rest at Dire-Daoua or Han-ar, which really con stitute for the inland a natural sanatorium.
The inhabitants belong to two distinct races: the red African race (Danakils or Somalis) and the white Ethiopian race (Gallas). Somali land will never be an agricultural producing country as vegetation is practically nil with the exception of a few European vegetables, some date and coconut plantations and fruit trees; it is merely a trading centre and the natural route for transportation from southern Abys sinia. A few industries have been established in Djibouti, but it is trade alone which must make the fortune of this French colony on the Red Sea. The most important product is coffee which grows in a wild state in Abyssinia and Moka, these being but a short distance from the Arabian coast. After coffee there is the ivory trade, civet, sheepskin, goatskin, ox hide, raw animal wax and gold dust. Trade on the Somaliland coast, that is at Djibouti which has practically the monopoly, amounted in 1913 to 81,620,991 francs ($16,324,198), of which 33,916,843 francs ($6,783,368) were imports and 47,704,148 francs ($9,540,809) exports. The figures for 1916 were 80,864,011 francs ($16, 172,802), being made up of 39,238,856 francs ($7,847,771) for imports and 41,625,155 francs (M325,031) exports. It is the trade done in Abyssinia which alone keeps business going in Somaliland. Products from abroad or destined for abroad account for three-fourths. Four-fifths of this trade is however carried on under the French flag, because on the one hand the large French ships alone touch at Djibouti and on the other hand coasting between Aden and Djibouti is carried on exclusively by the French.
The territory of Cheil-Said should also be mentioned. Here merchants from Marseilles established a coal depot in 1868. The position, which has an area of 150,000 hectares (446,000 acres), is a good one from a maritime point of view as it dominates the Strait of Bab-el Mandeb.