IOR/R/15/1/121, ff 68-72

Samuel Hennell refers to his earlier letter to Justin Sheil, no. 139, dated 9 April 1850, which concerned complaints from Shiraz against the British Agent of that city, Mirza Mahmood. The complaints originated from letters addressed to Sheil, which were purportedly written by Mirza Mahomed Houssein and Mirza Ahmed Khan respectively. The first complaint concerned a court case, in which the Agent was alleged to have interfered in order to prevent the plaintiff from obtaining justice. The second complaint was that the Agent had appropriated a portion of the effects of the late Mr Tasker, including a gold watch. Hennell states that he has enquired into the matter and found the accusations to be without any foundation. Hennell goes on to write that another letter, purportedly written by Mirza Mahmood to His Excellency the Prime Minister [Mīrzā Taqī Khān, known as Amir Kabir], is in fact a forgery. Hennell states that he suspects that the late Acting Agent at Shiraz, Mirza Rerza, has been plotting to ruin Sheil's good opinion of Mirza Mahmood. Hennell's letter is followed by the following enclosures:

• Translation of a letter from Mirza Ahmed Khan to Samuel Hennell, Resident in the Persian Gulf, not dated, received by Hennell on 2 May 1850, in which Mirza Ahmed Khan states that he has not complained of Mirza Mahmood to anyone;
• Translated substance of a letter from Hajee Mahomed Jaffer, a merchant of Shiraz, to Samuel Hennell, Resident in the Persian Gulf, dated 27 April 1850, in which he responds to suggestions that the watch that he sold to Mirza Mahmood and the watch that Mirza Mahmood sold to Mirza Abdool Bakee are in fact the same watch.