IOR/R/15/1/130, ff 265-73

Kemball reports on slave trading activities on both the Arab and Persian coasts of the Gulf. A table (f 265) lists the numbers of slaves imported into Rusul Khymah [Ra's al-Khaymah] from Zanzibar (435), as supplied by the British agent at Sharjah. Kemball writes that he suspects this figure is a small proportion of the actual numbers of slaves imported during the season, and describes the difficulties of enforcing the Maritime Truce. Kemball includes two enclosures with his letter:

1) Letter no.220 (ff 269-71) sent by Kemball to Colonel Justin Sheil, Her Majesty's Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary at the Court of Persia, dated 13 July 1852. Kemball informs Sheil that the British Agent at Lingah [Bandar-e Lengeh] has reported of slaves being brought to that port and the surrounding coast from Africa. Kemball encloses two translated extracts of reports he has received from Ahmed, the Agent at Bandar-e Lengeh, dated 19 June 1852 and 16 June 1863 respectively;

2) Copy of a letter from Lieutenant James Tronson, Commanding Officer of the Brigantine Tigris, to Commodore George Robinson, Commanding Officer Persian Gulf Squadron, dated 10 July 1852. Tronson reports that he arrived on the Batinah coast on the 24 May, and proceeded to Soor [Sur] where he encountered only one small fishing boat. Tronson continues that he proceeded to the position where the merchant ship Centaur grounded on 18 May, but that he saw nothing left of the wreck. Tronson reports that he found no boats carrying slaves, concluding that he had reached the Batinah coast after the season when boats arrive back from Africa.