SAGALLO  , a small

settlement on the north shore of the Gulf of Tajura, French Somaliland . A dismantled fort built by the Egyptians (who occupied the place between 1875 and 1884) is the most prominent object . In January 1889 Sagallo was occupied by a Cossack chief named Achinov, who was accompanied by the archimandrite Paisi and some 200 people, including priests, women and children . Paisi had been entrusted. by the metropolitan of Novgorod with an evangelistic mission to the Abyssinian Church; while Achinov stated that he had a commission from the Negus for the purchase of arms and ammunition . The presence of Achinov at Sagallo (where he occupied the fort, which he found deserted) was regarded by the French government as an invasion of French territorial rights . The Russian foreign office having disavowed (7th of February) any connexion with Achinov, instructions were sent from Paris to secure the removal of the Cossacks . On the 17th of February French warships appeared off the port, and an ultimatum was sent to Achinov calling on him to surrender, but without effect . The fort was bombarded, and seven persons killed, two being women and four children . The Cossacks then surrendered, not having fired a shot . They were subsequently deported to Suez, whence they returned to Russia . Achinov was interned by the Russian government for some months (until October 1889) . In 1891 he returned to Abyssinia .

Paisi was promoted by his ecclesiastical superiors . In Paris the. incident caused

great excitement amongst the Russophils, and the consequent demonstrations led to the suppression of the League of Patriots and the prosecution of M . Paul Derpulede . See L'Archimandrite Paisi et l'Ataman Achinoff, by vicomte de Constantin (Paris, 1891) .