Page 731 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

SLAVE TRADE. 683

ENGAGEMENTS ENTERED INTO BY THE PERSIAN
WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, FOR PREVENT­
ING THE IMPORTATION BY SEA OF SLAVES INTO
PERSIAN PORTS.

Letter* from IIajee Mirza Aghasee to Lieutenant Colonel Far-
rant, Her Britannic Majesty's Charge d’Affaires at the Court
of Tehran, dated June 12/A, 1848.

Your communication regarding Negroes has been received, and its
contents fully understood.
With a view to the request made by you, my sincere and esteemed
friend, and solely on account of the sincere friendship and good feelings
I entertain towards you, I did not consider it proper to withhold or
delay the fulfilment of your desire, and exerted my endeavours to
preserve the existing friendship between the two exalted Governments
of Persia and England, by laying your request in detail at a most
fortunate lime before His Majesty <fec. &c. the Shah (may his dominion
and sovereignty be everlasting! ).
An imperative order has been issued, which evinces the exceedingly
great favour entertained towards you, my honoured friend, by his Majesty
&c. &c. the Shah, which it is evident will always increase. The
importation of slaves by sea alone is forbidden, and imperative orders
will be issued to the Governors of Fars and Arabia, that hereafter strict ;
prohibition should be observed that no Negroes should be either
imported or exported, except by land.
This affair, in fulfilment of the request of that esteemed friend, has,
thank God, been concluded through the countless favour of His Majesty
&c. &c. &c. the Shah, towards you, and by my exertions.
But the Persian Ministers, in equal proportion, require that, by the
true friendship of the Ministers of the British Government, when they
make a request it will also be acceded to.
Translated by
(Signed) Joseph Reed.

* Note.—This communication was addressed to Lieutenant Colonel Farrant, under the
authority of an autograph letter from His Majesty Mahomed Shah, the late*Shah of Persia,
to Hajee Mirza Aghasee, dated the 12th June 1848.