British transport Queen hired for the Abyssinian expedition in 1867

According to a letter dated Admiralty, Somerset House 6th September of the Director of Transport Services W.R. Mends to the Under Secretary of State for India was the iron screw steam transport Queen hired. Number transport 4. Tonnage 3,511 tons. Horsepower 350hp. Rate per ton per month. If discharged at home 37s6d and abroad three montsh additional pay. Date of acceptance 2 September. Likely to sail early next week. now being prepared for service with the Abyssinian expedition at Liverpool. Engaged for six months certain. 

The British Abyssinian Expedition found place between 4 December 1867-13 May 1868 against the Ethiopian Empire or Abyssinia to release the imprisoned missionaries and representatives of the British government.

Source

Accounts and papers: thirty-five volumes. Army. Abyssinian expedition. Session 19 November 1867-31 July 1868. Vol. XLIII., p. 115.

British transport Kangaroo hired for the Abyssinian expedition in 1867

According to a letter dated Admiralty, Somerset House 6th September of the Director of Transport Services W.R. Mends to the Under Secretary of State for India was the iron screw steam transport Kangaroo. Number transport 6. Tonnage 1,719 tons. Horsepower 350hp. Rate per ton per month. If discharged at home 3266d and abroad 45s0d. Date of acceptance 30 August. Likely to sail early next week.

The British Abyssinian Expedition found place between 4 December 1867-13 May 1868 against the Ethiopian Empire or Abyssinia to release the imprisoned missionaries and representatives of the British government.

Source

Accounts and papers: thirty-five volumes. Army. Abyssinian expedition. Session 19 November 1867-31 July 1868. Vol. XLIII., p. 115.

The never realized floating fertilizer plant for Eritrea in 1967-1968

In the second half of the 1960s tried the Dutch shipyard Kon. Mij. De Schelde at Vlissingen to get orders from the Ethiopian government for building floating dry docks, workshops and even a floating fertilizer plant, all part of the intended development of Eritrea.(1)

One possible tender was to build a floating fertilizer plant with an initial capacity of 50.000 tons of urea per annum. In a letter dated 1 November 1967 written by the Dutch shipyard to the Nederlandsche Credietverzekering Maatschappij N.V. [an insurance company] was this fertilizer discussed. She would have a value of 20 million Dutch guilders and for which an insurance was needed. In a second letter dated 6 December were more details supplied of this plant designed by the shipyard. In fact is was a pontoon with as dimensions 85 x30 x 2,5 metres on and in which the plant was built. The fertilizer (urea) was using naphtha oil as base transported over sea in monthly quantities of around 4.000 tons. The pontoon was fitted out with holds for storing naphtha and the produced fertilizer. Thanks to a conveyor belt could the fertilizes be easily unloaded. Furthermore was the pontoon fitted out with her own electric power source and a water desalinisation device.

A floating fertilizer plant had important benefits like none dependence on land transport facilities of the naphtha and even more important an enormous reduce of the transport problems of large quantities of fertilizer and/or over large distances. After some months was the plant towed to a new location like a harbour or a bay. Eritrea with her long coastline and a stretched out but narrow agricultural area was ideal for using such a movable plant and the Ethiopians were pleased with the concept. Furthermore could the plant direct be used after the arrival in Ethiopia. There was no need for assembling while she was built and tested in the Netherlands. In May 1968 the plant is still mentioned in a telegram but due lacking further correspondence I’m yet no able to trace more details.

Note
1. Since 1952 formed Ethiopia and Eritrea a federation. The decision of the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie to dissolve in 1962 the federation caused the Eritrean War of Independence.

Source
Archive Kon. Mij. De Schelde (Gemeentearchief Vlissingen) inventory numbers 214:1, 13, 20, 233 en 1803. 

Italian troop transports underway to or returning from Eritrea according to the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad evening edition dated 14 October 1935

An item referred to the newspaper Morning Post which reported that tidings from Port Saïd mentioned the arrival of 8 transports with totally 9,000 men on board underway to East Africa.(1) Coming from Eritrea arrived on Saturday and Sunday the Belvedère and the Sargenia with 600 wounded from the fights near Adoea and who were to be transported to the Dodecanesus.

Note

1. In 1936 became Eritrea, Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland part of the Italian province Italian East Africa or Africa Orientale Italiana. The Ethiopian Empire (also referred to as Abyssinia) was just before captured by Italy during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War between October 1935 and May 1936. Eritrea was since 1 January 1890 an Italian colony after the Italian invasion in Ethiopia in which Italy was defeated.

Italian navy established navy base at Massaouah, main capital of Italian Eritrea according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1935 no. 5

An item referred to the magazine le Yacht reporting that Italy established a navy base at Massaouah,main capital of Italian Eritrea [nowadays Eritrea]  commanded by an admiral with the supreme command of all ships and services in the East African colonies already existing of future. 

Italian harbour of Assab expanded according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1937 No. 3

An item referred to the magazine Revista Marittime dated February 1937 reporting that Italy was expanding the harbour of Assab, Italian Eritrea [later Italian East Africa nowadays Eritrea] on large scale, including a jetty900 metres stretching into the sea and 700 metres parallel off the coastline. The berthing quays had a length of 2 kilometres along 6 ships at the same time could be berthed. It was reckoned that within 4 years the works were completed with as building costs 80 million lire. 

New regulations for non-Italian warships visiting Italian harbours according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1906-1907 no. 6

An item reported that the Italian government renewed the regulations for foreign warships visiting Italian territorial waters and harbours. Wth a maximum number of 3 ships at the same time was it allowed to visit protected harbours for maximum 8 days. Exceptions were possible after diplomatic permission. Such harbours were Savona/Vado, Genoa, Spezia, Monte Argentaro, Talamone/porto San Stefano, Gaeta, Maddalena with the nearby islands and the Sardinian coast, anchorages Messina with the anchorages at both sides of the strait, Tarente and Venice with th anchorages in the Lagoon. When entering the harbours of Genoa, Spezia, Gaeta, Maddalena, Messina, Tarente and Venice was to be saluted. Further more was to be saluted in the harbours of Naples, Ancona and Palermo and every other Italian harbour including in the colony Eritrea where at that moment an Italian warship was lying which was able to return the salute. Surveying, landing and gun practices within the gun range of the coast were forbidden, just like executions under the Italian coast.

Italian navy started improvements of Assab to be used as naval station according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1937 no. 2

An item referred to the magazine Le Yacht dated 24 January 1937 reporting that was started with the improvement of the harbour of Assab [Eritrea] in the Red Sea to be suitable as naval station for the Italian navy. Costs were estimated to be 80 million lire and within 4 years were the activities to be ended.

Seventh Italian troop transport underway to Eritrea according to the Dutch newspaper De Zeeuw dated 4 January 1896

An item reported that the Independente, the seventh Italian transport departed a day earlier from Port Saïd, Egypt to Eritrea with on board the 10^th battalion African infantry consisting of 800 men and 122 last animals.

Note

1. War between Italy and Ethiopia broke out in 1895 ending in a Italian defeat at the Battle of Adowa on 1 March and a peace treaty in October. During an earlier Italian invasion was Eritrea captured becoming since 1 January 1890 an official Italian colony.

Italian troop transport Independente underway to Eritrea according to the Dutch newspaper De Zeeuw dated 4 January 1896

An item reported that the Independente, the seventh Italian transport departed a day earlier from Port Saïd to Eritrea with on board the 10th battalion African infantry consisting of 800 men and 122 last animals.

Note
1. War between Italy and Ethiopia broke out in 1895 ending in a Italian defeat at the Battle of Adowa on 1 March and a peace treaty in October. During an earlier Italian invasion was Eritrea captured become since 1 January 1890 an official Italian colony