Page 571 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo II

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the steamboat “Pharros” led by captain Ernest Cooper .
The warrant officer left Assab, with a first stop in Margablek village, to go to Kiluma
towards midnight. After a rest of two hours, he started again towards the ship aground
on the rocks because he should march for other thirty km. After a walking of two hours,
because a pause forced due to the mule fatigue, he gave the mule to the danakil that was
with him from the beginning to let them to come back to Assab and, alone, when the sun
rose he went to Ras Sauthiar. After a walking of two hours, the warrant officer saw the
ship very far and although the Italian flag waving he carried and shooting four shots only
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four danakils of Raheita reached him that after some civilities they showed to know
him event if they never met before, the danakils proposed to bring him to the steamboat
near which there were seven danakils included the Raheita sultan.
So Cavedagni arrived to the ship, after “five hours of most painful travel”, receiving
support from the Navy schooner “Vedetta” that tried to refloat the English ship
unsuccessfully.
After boarding, the warrant officer “after uniform changing” he took part in the
negotiation between Raheita sultan and “Vedetta” and of “Pharros” commanders.
The sultan claimed a very amount of money to guarantee ship security because the
aground ship “was not assaulted by pirates, because there were many in the Rea Sea,
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especially in Bab-el-Mandeb strait” .
The sultan request, about 9000 lire, appeared too much (in the report the request
is called “tangente”); as consequence warrant officer Cavedagni, after speaking with
“Vedetta” commander, he offered himself to guarantee the ship with an help of ten
sailors. Moreover, he suggested that all the English crew (composed by thirty-four men
included officers) should remain on board until the arrive of an other ship that could help
the steamboat in refloating operations. At this point, “all the English crew and officers
refused to remain there with Italian soldiers because they feared to be massacred by
danakils”.
Thus, the English ship commander signed an agreement with Raheita sultan to secure
the steamboat “for the sum of 4000 rupee more or less the amount of 8400 Italian lire”.
The English crew went on the Italian ship that went to Perim isle. Later, with the help of
the “Castelfidardo” battleship divers the steamboat was refloated.
Warrant officer Cavedagni “after 2 hours started to Assab with a dhow and arrived at
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3 a.m. on 2nd” February .
After some days, it was noted an intense movement of ships going to Massawa and
partially to Assab for the military expedition.
Speaking about these evenements, on one side it is clear the small dimension of the

45 AUSSME, L-7 – Eritrea, b. 57, fasc. 24 “Studio prima spedizione in Africa anno 1885”, report n. 6 dated
28th Febbruary 1885, subject: 3 Relazione del mese di Febbraio. In the report (p. 3) the ship has been
a
described as “a new steamboat all in iron with a burden of 5000 tons empty”, in connection between
Liverpool and Bombay.
46 Nowadays, the village should be Rehayto, not far from the border with Gibuti.
47 AUSSME, L-7 – Eritrea, b. 57, fasc. 24, report n. 6. dated 28th February 1885, subject: 3 Relazione del
a
mese di Febbraio, p. 3.
48 AUSSME, L-7 – Eritrea, b. 57, fasc. 24, report n. 6 cit., p. 4.