'Aden. Judda- Alleged sale of certain female slaves by Hadje Rujub Ali Heeratee,...

The item consists of copies and extracts of correspondence and minutes, which are enclosures to an extract of a Political Letter from the Government of Bombay to the East India Company Court of Directors, dated 3 October 1849. A copy of this letter can be found at IOR/F/4/2343/123024. The item relates to instructions provided by Stafford Bettesworth Haines, Captain in the Indian Navy and Political Agent at Aden, to Lieutenant Adams, Commander of the Constance. The instructions are to travel to Mocha, Judda [Jeddah], Mussowah [Massawa], Hodeida [Al Hudaydah], and Mocha again before returning to Aden. His mission is to gather information following reports of enslaved women being sold at Judda by Hadji Rujub Ali Heerattee [Ḥājjī Rajab 'Alī al-Hirātī, also rendered in text as Hudje Rujub Ali Heeratee], a shopkeeper resident of Bombay [Mumbai], and to bring the women back to Aden, if they can be located. In Haines's instructions, he mentions relevant information, including names of people involved and details provided by witnesses. He also requests Adams to arrange for despatches to be sent to Mr Plowdin [Walter Plowden], Consul in Abyssinia. The item also contains minutes by members of the Government of Bombay Council, commenting on Haines's instructions. The title page of the item contains the following references: 'Bombay Political Department', 'Draft No. 189 of 1850', 'Vol: 6', 'Collection No 1 of No 103', and 'Examiner's Office'. The title page also contains a note: 'In the Secret Dep[artmen]t there is a further letter from Capt[ain] Haines on this subject dated De[cembe]r 10.'.

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the item. The item also contains a table of contents (f 164), noting 'No.', 'From', 'To', 'Subject', 'Date & No of Docu[men]t' and 'Date & No. of Cons[ultation]'.

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