The second cause is, that what little these foreigners have The second cause is the ignorance of the English in what concerns the customs and usages of the country, as well as in what may be the intent and aim of those usages and customs. gleaned of the institutions of this country, and which they have examined and committed to their registers, proves to be no more than what they have learned from their own servants. Hence they know nothing of either the reason or intent of them, but by the absurd report of their own servants, who being all beardless and unexperienced, have no view but that of their own benefit, and think only of pleasing their English masters. Those men never fail to shew a deal of revenue matter in every institution and custom; and they are so firm in that opinion, that one would be inclined to believe, that the setting up this and that institution was for no other view, but that of scraping together a few pence; not that it could have any other intent, but that of hooking in some more; and in reality there is no other for men of such sordid dispositions. Nor is this opinion a novel one; it is of some standing, and has commenced so early as the times of Feróh-syur. No wonder then if these foreigners, that are lately come into this country, and know nothing in any such matters, should take for truth, and for useful advice, such crude explanations as are afforded by those that approach their persons, and should act according to what information they receive. Nevertheless, such is their natural genius, and such their innate penetration, that of their own accord they have set aside and abolished some institutions, which they thought oppressive; and here in an instance of this: The first Mussulmen Sovereigns disapproved of public women, and of their being of general use, especially on the eve of a Friday, which is a day particularly holy*; nor would they suffer any one to defile himself with the crime of fornication; and therefore they denounced punition, and even a capital one, against any such as indulged in keeping in their houses slave-girls or concubines, without having them consecrated by the forms of law, and the rites of religion; and for these reasons they discerned a variety of pains, which to sinners appeared as hard as death itself, or any other extreme misfortune. It was on that account they had appointed a Daroga, whose business was to be informed of any such women as had rendered themselves public, and had made profession of prostitution; and this officer’s business was to take from them a heavy fine every day, and, if found trespassing against the eve of Friday, a heavier one. The drum and haut­boy players were also put under this officer’s inspection, that they might not go to play anywhere without his knowledge and leave. He had also the authority of determining finally such differents as arose in that tribe amongst themselves, and a power to repress their excesses, and punish their misdemeanours. In this there was another intent and view; namely, that in feasts and weddings, every one should send for as much music only as his means could afford, without casting, in his entertainment, an eye of jealousy upon the Nobles and his betters; and without launching out into expenses of prodigality, or pretending to equal, still less, to surpass his superiors. But, as we have already remarked, people of sordid dispositions did not fail, this longwhile, to pervert this institution into a catch-penny, and an item of tax-gathering; and, shutting their eyes upon the original intent of it, they have observed no other end in it, than the wretched one of scraping up a little money by such a pretence; so that even this pitiful article has been converted into an item of the tax-gathering business. This is so far true, that the English them­selves conceiving it to be a shameful finesse, that drew after it the worst consequences, have forbidden that tax in their dominions, and totally abolished it. And so it is with every one institution besides. And indeed, if those strangers, who have naturally much penetration and much impartiality, were made acquainted with the infamous practices now in vogue, but concealed under the bark of institution and custom, it is highly probable that they would endeavour to correct them, as so many defects in administration. It is therefore to assist their efforts in that view, that I shall assume the task of explaining the reason and intent of some of those institutions and customs of Hindostan; and I am in full hopes that my notions shall awaken the minds of men of sense upon subjects so misunderstood.

The Cazy’s or Judge’s office, for instance, was to put in Cazy’s office, that is, that of Judge of such civil and criminal matters as are relative to religion. force the ordinances of the law, without partiality or pity, in every matter, and against any person whose case should require his animadversion; and as he had a salary from the treasury, and such a Djaghir besides from the Emperor’s liberality as, afforded amply to all his wants, he did dot dare to take any fee or any bribe from any one; and if peradventure any one was found capable of any such infamy, he became from that moment an object of the Imperial resentment, was adjudged guilty of having dishonoured the law and the Mussulman religion, and became henceforward and object of taunt and reproach from every rank of men. Insomuch that finding himself pointed out with the finger, he pined away with shame and remorse, was for ever excluded from any office, and remained infamous and cursed in this world and the other. But now since from a length of time, it is become customary to put up everything to sale, the office of Cazy is leased out, and under-leased; and a practice which never was heard of in any nation, in any religion, or in any sect whatever, is become a matter of course; so that we see every day faithless Cazies, who, ignorant even of the princi­ples of Musulmanism, and worse in their lives than so many Renegadoes and so many Atheists, take leases of what they call the Cazy’s rights, and under-lease them openly to others, although these rights are no more than so many new inventions to torment the Mussulmen of this land, and to extort money from them, under a variety of pretences. No wonder then, if it is come to pass, that by the repeated efforts, and the serious approbation of those faithless wretches, those new-fangled practices have taken such deep root, as to become the current creed of those under-judges; insomuch, that to reclaim them from those practices, is become an absolute impossibility. One would say that the holy sentence, Shew me, O Lord! those that have made me go astray, that I may trample them under my feet, has been revealed on purpose for them.

Here is, for instance, one of the inventions set up by those Abuses that now seem to make a cus­tomary part of that awful office. calumniators of the law. Whenever any Mussulman of the poorer sort comes to die, these poor people, who never had any other instructors than those faithless tutors, enemies to all law, never fail to think that until the Cazy’s substitute is come, and has received the fee designed by his principal, the deceased’s spirit does not quit the house; and as sometimes a poor fellow cannot afford the fee, he from that moment is deemed so impure and defiled, himself, his family and dependants, and all, that his very neighbours and acquaintances shun his company, avoid drinking and eating with him, and carry matters so far as to refuse him both fire and water; nor is such an interdict withdrawn until the fee is discharged. So that the deluded man, in despair, either betakes himself to the highway in order to raise the necessary money (and thus acquires a relish for the trade of highwayman), or sells away his ground and furniture, and becomes a vagrant; or at least, he finds means to borrow, and immediately runs in debt; in all which cases, he becomes either useless or pernicious to society; and all that to get rid of the entailed curse upon himself and family.

It is the same with respect to boys that need circumcision, and to the girls that are marriageable, as being both come to the age of puberty. If they chance to be unable to pay the Cazy’s fees, they remain bound for years together, and are debarred, the former, from the rites of circumcision, and the latter, from the comforts of marriage. This superstition and abuse goes so far, that if they continue unable to pay the fees, especially those due to the Cazy, they are sure to consume their lives in privation and sorrow; for it is not possible for them to get rid of the interdict, other­wise than by paying. Hence it is, that so many young persons, of both sexes, being debarred the benefit of either of those rites, turn loose and become dissolute. Those then who after approving of such interdicts and such vexations, still pretend to be Mussulmen, will never make any difficulty, on receiving a sum of money, as Cazy’s fees, to turn right into wrong, and injustice into justice; and what is still more afflicting, they have such a collection of oppressive practices, and they are put in force so barefacedly, that it would be tedious and painful to mention them at length. However, we shall touch upon some of them, although even with so light a hand.

The Sadr-el-sood8r, or great Almo­ner.