Storia do Mogor 238.5.1

238.5.1

His name was Antonio de Souza Sarafana, and he had a quarrel with the rest of his countrymen. They styled him a cuckold, and aggrieved at such talk, he went to his house, and, getting his sword, barbarously slew his wife and a baby girl that was still at the breast. The negro women of the house, seeing this slaughter, jumped over the walls and fled. Some of these women, feeling aggrieved, went and laid a complaint, of which the courts took cognisance. When he was taken into custody the relations of the wife petitioned the court for his execution. The court asked the criminal if he was willing to turn Mahomedan ; if so, he would be liberated without punishment. The Portuguese would not consent, and, firm in his purpose, went to his beheadal with courage and animation. I have seen on the Choromandal coast and in Bengal a few Malabaris and Bengalis, poverty-stricken Hindus, become Christians, but it was from compulsion of hunger, or to get married to some Christian ; even then they never refrained from Hindu practices. Since I have spoken of the noted Hindu princes, I will mention also the Mahomedan tribes who are vassals and tributaries of the Mogul throughout his kingdom. The Pathans might collect eighty thousand horse and much infantry. But they are scattered in different parts of the kingdom, and differ from the Pathans who live beyond the river [Indus] and to the west of it, about whom the Mogul has to be very careful, for at one time they claimed the crown.