22 HISTORY : SOMALILAND No. 97 British into the Italian sphere. In 1902 he reappeared , and an indecisive fight took place in Italian territory, the Somali levies having been by this time strengthened by a battalion of the King's African Rifles. In 1903 there were further operations, in which Indian troops and some British and Boer mounted infantry took part, under the command of Brigadier-General Manning (now Sir William Manning), the Abyssinians also co operating. There was some heavy fighting ; one small detachment on the British side was annihilated , and another severely checked and forced to retreat. Further reinforcements were then sent. General Sir C. Egerton took command, and in January 1904 the dervishes were heavily defeated . European prestige being thus vindicated , the Italian Government on March 5, 1905, made an agreement with the Mullah, giving him and his following a fixed residence in Italian territory in touch with the sea, and embodying peace between him and the British, who allowed him the use of certain grazing grounds within their territory . This agreement was supplemented by another signed by representatives of the British Commissioner and the Mullah at Berbera on March 24, 1905, by an exchange of notes between the British and Italian Governments on April 12 –May26, 1905 , and by a further exchange of notes between the two Governments on March 19, 1907.1 In 1908 the Mullah became restive again ; in 1909 it was found necessary to bring reinforcements into the Protectorate ; and in 1910, in view of the constant expense caused by interminable raids and counter -raids, the BritishGovern ment decided to withdraw from the interior to the coast --- a policy which was strongly criticized in Parliament.

The withdrawal led to intertribal fighting among the friendly tribes, and to encroachments by the Mullah.

1 See Hertslet's Map of Africa by Treaty, ed . 1909, vol. ii, pp. 961-3 and 1120_2.

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