This unwillingness to honour fully the terms of the Anglo-Somali protectorate treaties, however distasteful to the local British authorities, was of course consistent with the official British attitude towards the Somali coast. The effect was to strengthen Abyssinia's hand, and Italy's as Abyssinia's protector, although there was now growing British scepticism as to Italy's real influence with Menelik.

I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Som…, loc. 176