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_ . ^ m ong the notable persons who made the pilgrimage were the Sheikh
of Bahrein and his family, Princess Khadija Abbas of Egypt and the Sultan of
Tajura, in French Somaliland.
255. Arrangements for the handling of pilgrims at Jedda worked satis-
ac only and the departure of the Indian pilgrims after the pilgrimage went
on very smoothly. r & &
256. Owing to the cheapness of the journey from India which resulted from
the rate war between the two rival shipping companies, it was feared that the
number of destitute pilgrims might increase, and the Saudi Arabian Government
asked the legation m September to approach the Government of India with a
view to preventing such persons from coming on pilgrimage. The Saudi Arabian
Government also raised unofficially the question of the payment by intending
pilgrims^ before departure, of a lump sum to cover all their expenses while on
the pilgrimage.
257. The attitude of the Saudi Government to the sanitary control of Mecca
pilgrims by other countries is described in paragraph 207.
XI.— Slavery.
2j 8. Information reached the legation during the year that slaves in small
numbers were still reaching the Hasa Province of Saudi Arabia from outside
the country. Investigations were made by the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian
Gult which showed that the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi was probably an offender and
suitable punitive measures were taken.
259. The Saudi slavery regulations promulgated in October 1936 appeared
to icmain a dead lettei. One bad case of non-observance of them arose during
the year. A Sudanese, Jaber Ahmad, who had formerlv been a slave in the Heiaz,
had been manumitted by the agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. here in 1927 and sent to the Sudan. In 1937’
having returned to Saudi Arabia on pilgrimage, he was re-enslaved at the instance
of his former owner, d be case was taken up by the legation and after some
argument he was set free by order of Ibn Saud. On the other hand, a yo n n o*
Sudani who was enslaved in this country before the lA^ahabi regime and was
found to be a slave in the body-guard of the Amir Saud was sent to Jedda by his
master to report to His Majesty’s Minister, whom he informed, with obvious
sincerity, that he was married and quite happy and did not wish to go back to the
Sudan.
XII.— Naval Matters.
260. The following visits were paid to Jedda by the escort vessels of His
Majesty’s Navy :—
H.M.S. Londonderry, February 7 to 12.
H.M.S. Fleetwood, May 26 to 30; iHigust 3 to 4.
H.M.S. Weston, September 6 to 12.
261. Two Italian flotilla leaders, Pantera and Leone, visited Jedda for the
Saudi Accession Day, the 8th January. They remained from the 7th January
until the 9th January.
262. The French sloop D'Iberville visited Jedda from the 8th February
until the 11th February.
263. Visits to Jedda continued to be made by His Majesty’s escort vessels
by bare notification to the Saudi Arabian Government without any request for
permission. No other Saudi ports were visited.
264. ^ The projected survey of certain areas in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. by
H.M.S. Challenger during the winter of 1938—39 is dealt with in paragraph 145.
265. The scheme proposed by the Saudi Arabian Mining Syndicate
(Limited) to place a series of buoys and beacons in the approaches to Jedda
harbour (paragraph 237 of 1937 report) was put into effect in the course of the