Storia do Mogor 281.4.3

281.4.3

An Armenian of Madras, having had several unlucky transactions, took flight to the kingdom of Gulkandah. He owed a considerable sum to an English inhabitant of the same town ; and this man soon afterwards caused him to be followed, and efforts were made to get payment, or at the least to recover something of what was due. The creditor hoped that on such an occasion the Mahomedans would lend him a helping hand, seeing the rightfulness of his claim. The poor man was sadly deceived ! He had also entered on his pursuit in the face of advice to the contrary, given him by a large number of people better informed than he was of the way in which justice is dealt out among these peoples. For the debtor collected false witnesses who deposed that the Englishman was largely in debt to the man whose creditor he really was. These wretches swore that in their presence he had admitted the debt, that he had even promised to pay one moiety on the spot. On this evidence he was decreed against, and even thrown into prison. The poor fellow, overwhelmed at this cruel result, wrote to me for advice as to how he should proceed to get out of this awkward fix. I answered as well as I could, giving him such counsels as I thought most useful. Since that time I have had no news of him, and cannot say what has become of him. This affair was an extremely thorny one ; for the whole Mahomedan population knows no other influence than that of money. Relations, friends, written recommendations, nothing avails ;