﻿Olr CERTAIN MUHAMMEDAN SECTS. $5^ 



about three hundred years ago, at the call of a vir- 

 tuous and learned man, whose name was Mullah 



A 



Ali', and whose tomb is still seen at the city of 

 Cambai/at. 



*' The conversion of this people was thus con- 

 ducted by him: As the inhabitants of Gujrat were 

 pagans, and were guided by an aged priest, a re- 

 creant, in whom they had a great confidence, and 

 whose disciples they vvere ; the missionary judged 

 it expedient, first to offer himself as a pupil to the 

 priest ; and after convincing him by irrefragable 

 proofs, and making him participate in the declara-^ 

 tion of faith, then to undertake the conversion of 

 others. He accordingly passed some years in atten- 

 dance on that priest, learnt his language, studied 

 his sciences, and became conversant with his books. 

 By degrees he opened the articles of the faith to the 

 enlightened priest, and persuaded him to become 

 Musleman. Some of his people changed their reli- 

 gion in concert with their old instructor. The cir- 

 cumstance of the priest's conversion being made 

 known to the principal minister of the king of that 

 country, he visited the priest, adopted habits of obe- 

 dience towards him, and became a Muslem. But for 

 a long time, the minister, the priest, and the rest of 

 the converts, dissembled their faith, and sought to 

 keep it concealed, through dread of the kino-. 



" At length the intelligence of the minister's con- 

 version reached the monarch. One day he repaired 

 to his liouse, and, finding him in the humble posture 

 of ])iayer, v/as incensed against him. The minister 

 knew tlie motive of the king's visit, and perceived 

 that his anger arose from the suspicion that he was 

 reciting prayers and performing adoration. With 

 presence of mind, inspired by divine providence, he 

 immediately pretended that his prostrations were 

 occasioned by the sight of a serpent, \wjich appeared 

 in the corner of the room, and against which he was 



Z ^ employing 



