842 Observations upon the past and present [Oct. 



the chief mulla narrowly escaped with his life*. A sunni will not re- 

 cieve a glass of water from a bohra, unless poured out before his eyes 

 from the latter's lota, who would it is declared, certainly spit in it if 

 the other turned his back for a moment. 



The early history of the bohras is involved in much obscurity : 

 Malcolm, who asserts that they are descended from the Hassanis, 

 has not informed us, whether he derived his knowledge from common 

 report, or written authorities, and omits to notice that Colebrookb 

 and others have on strong groundsf disputed that extraction. 



Of this interesting tribe, I at one time entertained a hope of being 

 able to send you a more satisfactory history, than can be gleaned from 

 the accompanying meagre notes : for on paying a visit to the chief 

 mulla's house, I was delighted with the sight of nearly 200 volumes 

 of Arabic lore, from which he promised to permit me to make whatever 

 extracts I pleased. But the mulla is old, cautious and avaricious, 

 and though still profuse of his promises of giving me the use of his 

 library, I have not as yet been able to procure even a catalogue of 

 it, and the scanty information which in answer to my queries, and to 

 whet my curiosity, he sends me piecemeal, in letters, is of that de- 

 scription, which the Hindus call, A'tpatdng, in which nee pes, nee 

 caput, &c.{ Perhaps, however, he tells little, because he has little to 

 tell. I am the more inclined to this suspicion, from the nature of a 

 few extracts, hastily made, from two or three books which he pointed 

 out to me, as the most respectable authority on the subject of his creed. 

 Of the value of these you may judge from the following specimen§. 



" A man, named Yaku'b, obliged to quit his country from some 

 domestic or party feud, was the first of his sect who put his foot in 

 India, having left Egypt and landed at Cambat, A. H. 532, A. D. 1 137. 



* See Heber's Journal, vol. II. 



f Their not rejecting the last five Imams, their peaceable pursuits, &c. 



X He promises to pay me a visit in the cold weather bringing all his books. 

 Should he not fail me, I will send you notice of any thing I may find curious 

 in them: D. Herbelot mentions a few histories of Yemen for which I inquired, 

 but the mulla did not seem to know of them. I remember the titles of a few of 

 the bohra MSS. J^ $J ^* ; U*> S| d ^CjL*.W £^IL«, 



§ The extracts, mere rough translations, are distinguished by inverted commas. 

 Of the history of the sect before 532, I am ashamed to send but in a note the 

 confused story of the mulla. The first Persian apparently of whom their chro- 

 nicles speak, is one " Soleyman Farsee," who emigrated from Fars or Hama- 

 dan, (I suppose to Arabia,) and was the bosom friend of (there a word seems 

 wanting) " Bin Mahomed il Mustapha." ? 



