§ MR. D. JENKINSasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, seeing the increasing importance of our trade to India and China by the Red Sea route, and the dangerous nature of the navigation and consequent serious loss of life and property in British ships which has taken place from time to time since the opening of the Suez Canal on approaching the African coast near Cape Guardafui, owing to the absence of a light, Whether there is any recognised authority in possession of that territory with whom Her Majesty's Government are prepared to enter into negotiations for the erection and maintenance of a lighthouse; and, if there is no such authority, whether Her Majesty's Government will take into consideration the advisability of occupying such territory as may be necessary for the purpose, and erecting and maintaining a lighthouse thereupon?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER,in reply, said, that Her Majesty's Government had for some time been impressed with the importance of the better lighting of the Red Sea. Whether the particular point, Guardafui, was the right point for a lighthouse was a question on which he understood there was some difference of opinion; but there was no difference of opinion as to the importance of making better provision for lighting that part of the coast. The Government were in communication with the Khedive of Egypt on the subject, and he hoped before long it would be in their power to come to some proper arrangement.