Page 125 - Arabian Studies (I)

The Diary of a Mocha Coffee Agent 109
12 to 13 May

FaqTh Ahmad relents a little and 200 bales of coffee arc shipped
aboard the Prince William.
On the occasion of the ‘Feast of IIajj\ Mr. Dickinson accompanies
the Supercargoes of the Prince William to present to the Governor
the usual compliments. In the afternoon Mr. Hanys reports to Mr.
Dickinson by letter that
he had sent for the Muccadam of the Camels concerning the
Pilferage of Bales, and that he had threatened to complain of him
to the Governor and get him severely punished, but on his
promising to take a great Deal of care that we should have no such
Complaints for the future, he had dismissed him without
complaining to the Governor . . .
14 to 18 May
A request is made to Mr. Hanys, on behalf of the Company, to
produce some coffee trees for the Company’s station on St. Helena
and to send them down to Mocha for subsequent dispatch.

19 to 22 May
On 22 May the Murbar (Amir al-Bahr), the Head Officer at the Sea
Gate at Mocha, informs Mr. Dickinson’s linguist that he has orders
from the Governor’s son not to allow any more coffee to be loaded
until the Company paid 5,000 Spanish dollars for arrears, allegedly
due to the Imam for six years’ presents, in lieu of the grant of 600 ■
bales being allowed customs free. Mahomet Jassun (Muhammad
Ya-STn?), the Imam’s Sherriff (or schroff, banker), is sent for.
He is in effect Governor, having at present the management of
everything in his hands. We represented to him the unreasonable­
ness of his Demand, which if he did not relinquish, he might be
assur’d our Hon’ble Masters would know, in whose power it was to
utterly destroy this place . . .

23 May
News of these happenings was passed to Mr. Hanys, together with the
request that he should in future maintain a list of the names of all
camel drivers employed in the transportation of the Company s
coffee, together with the gross weight and number of bales
committed to each man’s care.
The correspondence continues: