When the Suez Canal opened in 1869, an Italian, Lazarist missionary was hired to assist in securing a Red Sea port for Italy. Sapeto had first come to Eritrea in 1837 and worked in the Akele Guzai region. He later worked near Keren and was knowledgeable in the language and culture of the region. He acquired land on the Bay of Assab from local chiefs on behalf of the Rubatino Maritime Company, giving Italy a base from which to begin colonization and commercial expansion in the region. Conflict between Egypt and the Abyssinian Empire persisted throughout the 1870s, and in 1876, the northern highlands were annexed by Abyssinia's Yohannes IV. In 1879, the conflict ended and Britain attempted to broker a peace between Egypt and Abyssinia, but was unsuccessful. In 1882, the Italian government purchased the interests of the Rubatino Maritime Company to Assab. As Italian explorers began to widen their spheres of influence, disputes emerged with the Abyssinians. Attacks on an Italian settlement at Dogali in 1887, led to an invasion by Italian military forces. In 1889, Abyssinian Emporer Menelik II, recognized Italian claims and settled the borders of Eritrea by the Treaty of Wuchale.