IOR/R/15/1/144, ff 12-14

Arnold Burrowes Kemball, Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushire, writes to L Darling in response to his letter dated 7 February 1854, received by Kemball on 10 April 1854. Kemball states that because he has no involvement in mercantile transactions, he has transferred Darling’s correspondence to Messrs I A Malcolm and Co., an American firm established in Bushire, The following reply from Messrs Malcolm and Co. is enclosed:

• In this letter, Malcolm writes to L Darling answering his questions regarding commercial trading in Bushire and providing information on duty payable on imported and exported goods. He writes that there is no trade with America, but that articles for daily consumption, including various forms of sugar and cotton, are imported from Europe. Details are given as to the preferred quantity, quality and place of origin for each article. In regard to exports, details are given concerning the trade in wheat and other items such as dates and cumin seeds which are exported to Java, and a further list is provided of articles exported to India. Information is also provided on weights and measures and currency. At the end of the letter Malcolm in turn requests information on rates of exchange and prices in London.