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20 HISTORICAL REMARKS ON 



experience from the Portuguese, the following def- 

 cription is literally taken from the tranflation of Ni- 

 zameddien's Treatife. 



id. ff The believers of Malabar were eftablifhed 

 in the moil defirable and happy manner, by reafon 

 of the inconfiderable degree ofoppreflion experienced 

 from the rulers, who were acquainted with the an- 

 cient cuftoms, and were kind to, and protectors of, 

 " the MufFulmans \ and the fu ejects lived fatisfied and 

 <c contented ; but finned fo, that God turned from 

 <c them, and did therefore command the Europeans of 

 " Portugal, who opprefTed and diftrefTed the Mahom- 

 medan community by the commiflion of unlimited 

 enormities, fuch as beating and deriding them ; 

 and finking and ftranding their (hips; and fpitting 

 in their faces, and on their bodies ; and prohibiting 

 them from performing voyages, particularly that to 

 Mecca; and plundering their property, and burning 

 their countries and temples ; and making prizes of 

 their fhips ; and kicking and trampling on their (the 

 believers) books, and throwing them into the flames. 

 They alfo endeavoured to make converts to their 

 own religion ; and enjoined churches of their own 

 faith to be confecrated ; tempting people, for thefe 

 " objects, with offers of money: and they dreiTed out 

 cc their own women in the fineft ornaments and ap- 

 " parel, in order thereby to deceive and allure the wo- 

 c< men of the believers. They did alfo put Hajis, and 

 w other M until mans, to a variety of cruel deaths -, and 

 <c they reviled and abufed with unworthy epithets the 

 <c Prophet of God ; and confined the Mahommedans, 

 " and loaded -them with heavy irons, carrying them 

 u about for fale, from fhop to fhop, as (laves ; en- 

 hancing their ill ufage on thefe occafions, in order 

 to extort the larger fum for their releafe. They con- 

 fined them alfo in dark, noifome and hedious dun- 

 geons ; and ufed to beat them with flippers ; tor- 

 turing them alfo with fire; and felling fome into, 

 and retaining others, in their fervitude as their 

 Haves. On fome they impofed the fevereft 



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