101 
unknown to former navigators, and never exceeded by any, until 
the discovery of the magnet, were urged by their enthusiastic zeal 
to spread their new religion on the shores of the Indian continent, 
and its remotest islands: they were for some lime established in 
the city of Canton, subject to their own laws, and enjoying many 
privileges: they indeed only resided there as merchants, the cau- 
tious policy of the Chinese not permitting them to colonize. In 
most other places they not only planted their religion, but in- 
creased their trade, and returned to their own country with a 
variety of valuable articles. Thus was the oriental commerce 
enlarged; and numerous converts, from the Red Sea to the re- 
motest of the eastern islands, were added to the Mahomedan 
faith. 
I shall conclude this account of the Mahomedans in Hindos- 
tan, with a summary of their general character, from the writings 
of an intelligent officer, who travelled through the Nizam’s country 
in 179R and communicated his observations in the first volume of 
die oriental collections. I am not acquainted with his name; but 
as far as my knowledge extends, I have found all his remarks ex- 
tremely correct and satisfactory. 
<! What is most surprising to an European, is the decorum, 
gravity, and elegance of the Moorish children. They are, for the 
most part, handsomer at this age than when fully grown; and with 
all that is infantine and engaging, they can upon cases of cere- 
mony assume the unaffected steadiness of an old courtier. By 
paying attention to what was said to these children by their tutors, 
and by observing the most admired and popular characters among 
the men, I endeavoured to acquire some insight into what style of 
