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Coll 6/20 'Red Sea: Reports of proceedings of H.M. Ships.' [‎227r] (453/493)

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The record is made up of 1 file (245 folios). It was created in 2 Feb 1931-30 Nov 1945. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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-5-
decessor Mr,Salmond merely repeated the many items of evidence
i
in support of the contention that slaves continue to he
exported from Abyssinia via Dungkali territory (Tajura and
: Obok district) with impunity.
They assert (no brief is held for such sweeping
statements) that the French Authorities, not only do not
exercise effective control over their protectorate, particularly
the coastline from Tajura to the Italian Eritrean border, but
that their subordinate and Native Officials will not risk
interference with these illicit activities, even if they do
not deliberately countenance the traffic in which not a few of
them have personal interests.
Whether it be contemporary historical literature on
Arabia and the Arabs, or intelligence reports originating in
the countries bordering the Red Sea, all of them make the most
very
of this/tempting subject of universal interest. Slaves; and all
of them agree in so many words that that part of French
Somaliland North of the Gulf of Tajura is what may be described
as the Clearing house of the slave trade, 1 and the South
West monsoon months of June, July and August the "Slave
trooping season".
However, all that may or may not be, one is bound to
suspect this part of the coast as the obvious outlet, both
geographically and otherwise; and further there is no doubt
that, of all available natives, Abyssinians are or have been
the most in demand in Arabia,
On the other hand it is v/ell known that at the
present time there is an acute shortage of ready money in
Arabia, and no Slave Dealer is likely to run all the risks of
the trade if he is not certain of cash payment on delivery.
The Abyssinian boy, age 15, who was a member of the
crew of the dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. boarded off Kamaran stated that he knew of
several Abyssinians in his district who were born slaves
of slave parents, but who were now freed, as he has been,
by the goodwill of their original owners acting up to the
spirit/
-
mm

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Content

This file consists of copies of extracts from (approximately) monthly reports of the proceedings of His Majesty's ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden during the years 1931-1945, which have been forwarded by the Admiralty to the Under-Secretary of State, India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. .

Most of the extracts are attributed to the Senior Officer of the Red Sea Sloops, the Commander-in-Chief of Mediterranean Station, or commanding officers of particular British ships. Prominently featured ships include the following: HMS Lupin , HMS Penzance , HMS Londonderry , and HMS Weston .

The extracts vary in their range of subject matter. Some of the extracts are largely concerned with local affairs along the Yemeni coast; others report on matters relating to the region as a whole, such as Saudi-Yemeni relations.

Matters discussed in the extracts include the following:

  • The slave trade.
  • The transportation of a British medical mission to Yemen in December 1931, headed by a female doctor named P W R Petrie, for the purpose of treating the Imam of Yemen's [Yaḥyá Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn's] granddaughter.
  • The passage of pilgrims through Kamaran.
  • A visit by the Chief Commissioner of Aden [Bernard Rawdon Reilly] to Abd el Kuri [Abd al Kuri] and Socotra, on board HMS Penzance , in 1933.
  • The presence of Saudi forces in Asir.
  • Relations between Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] and the Imam of Yemen.
  • The Saudi-Yemeni conflict of 1934, including details of the evacuation of Yemeni troops from Hodeida [Al Ḩudaydah] and the subsequent entry of Saudi troops.
  • Italian naval posts in the Red Sea.
  • Yemeni concerns that Italy, following on from events in Abyssinia, might also become aggressive towards Yemen.
  • The importance of Kamaran as a Red Sea trading port.
  • Details of a special arms patrol carried out by HMS Weston in the Gulf of Akaba [Aqaba] in 1938.

The correspondence concludes with a copy of an intelligence report of the Red Sea area, dated 17 October 1945 and produced by the Naval Intelligence Centre, Levant A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. and East Mediterranean.

In addition to report extracts, the file includes a small sketch map of the Aden Protectorate and the surrounding area.

The file includes two dividers which give a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file (245 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 246; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An external leather cover wraps around the documents, the front inside of which has been foliated as folio 1. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-245; these numbers are also written in pencil but are not circled.

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English in Latin script
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Coll 6/20 'Red Sea: Reports of proceedings of H.M. Ships.' [‎227r] (453/493), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2086, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100034209926.0x000038> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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