IOR/R/15/1/8

The volume consists of chronological diary entries containing transcripts of correspondence sent and received, and notes on the arrival and departure of vessels at Bushire. The Resident during the period covered was William Bruce (acting).

The correspondence sent is entered under the date the letter was written; that received is entered under the date of receipt at Bushire. The correspondence is mostly between the Resident and other East India Company officials, particularly officials of the Government of Bombay; the Resident at Bagdad [Baghdad] (Harford Jones); the Resident at Muscat (David Seton); officials in charge of the Residency at Bussora [Basra] (John Law and Lieutenant William Eatwell); and commanders of ships of the Bombay Marine (the East India Company's navy).

The records of shipping consist of a note of the day of arrival and departure of ships of the Bombay Marine and country ships (privately-owned merchant ships, which operated under licence from the East India Company), and information on their port of origin and destination. The term 'imported' is used to indicate the arrival of a vessel.

General topics covered in the volume include:

• political developments in the Gulf;
• movements of ships;
• piracy;
• sale of East India Company merchandise;
• appointments;
• personnel matters;
• accounting and financial matters;
• administrative matters;
• relations with the Court of Persia;
• relations with local rulers and Persian officials;
• the activities of the French in the region;
• reports of political and military developments in Europe.

Specific topics include:

• correspondence concerning the activities and whereabouts of a French officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Alexandre Romieu, former minister at Corfu, who had made his way from Constantinople into Persia on a mission the objectives of which were unclear, entries for 27 September - 22 November 1805 (folios 14-32v);
• correspondence relating to the recovery of cargo from the merchant ship Hector, 29 October - 22 November 1805 (folios 23v-32v);
• letter from Lieutenant W Eatwell, Bombay Marine, commanding the Fury, at Bussora, dated 20 October 1805, reporting the death of John Law, Resident of the Factory at Bussora and stating that he had taken temporary charge of the Residency there (entry for 31 October 1805, folio 28v)
• correspondence from the Political Department of the Government of Bombay concerning the Persian Embassy, particularly relating to an affray that had taken place on a road near Bombay in November 1805 between an East India Company officer cadet and two servants of the Persian Ambassador, 26 January 1806 (folios 60-89v).