▁to ▁the ▁point ▁that ▁Haw kes bury ▁and ▁Otto ▁met ▁to ▁draft ▁a ▁pre lim inary ▁agreement . ▁On ▁ 3 0 ▁September , ▁they ▁signed ▁the ▁pre lim inary ▁agreement ▁in ▁London , ▁which ▁was ▁published ▁the ▁next ▁day . ▁ ▁The ▁terms ▁of ▁the ▁pre lim inary ▁agreement ▁required ▁Britain ▁to ▁restore ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁colonial ▁poss essions ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁captured ▁since ▁ 1 7 9 4 , ▁to ▁ev acu ate ▁Mal ta ▁and ▁to ▁withdraw ▁from ▁other ▁occupied ▁Mediter rane an ▁ports . ▁Mal ta ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁restored ▁to ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁St . ▁John , ▁whose ▁so vere ig nt y ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁guaranteed ▁by ▁one ▁or ▁more ▁powers , ▁to ▁be ▁determined ▁at ▁the ▁final ▁peace . ▁France ▁was ▁to ▁restore ▁Egypt ▁to ▁Ott oman ▁control , ▁to ▁withdraw ▁from ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁Italian ▁pen ins ula ▁and ▁to ▁agree ▁to ▁preserve ▁Portuguese ▁so vere ig nt y . ▁C ey lon , ▁previously ▁a ▁Dutch ▁territory , ▁was ▁to ▁remain ▁with ▁the ▁British , ▁and ▁New found land ▁fish ery ▁rights ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁restored ▁to ▁their ▁pre war ▁status . ▁Britain ▁was ▁also ▁to ▁recogn ise ▁the ▁Seven ▁Islands ▁Republic , ▁established ▁by ▁France ▁on ▁islands ▁in ▁the ▁I onian ▁Sea ▁that ▁are ▁now ▁part ▁of ▁Greece . ▁Both ▁sides ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁allowed ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁out posts ▁on ▁the ▁Cape ▁of ▁Good ▁Hope . ▁In ▁a ▁blow ▁to ▁Spain , ▁the ▁pre lim inary ▁agreement ▁included ▁a ▁secret ▁clause