Storia do Mogor 353.4.3

353.4.3

[91] In Masulipatam there was a Mahomedan, a seafaring man, of the caste of Chulia (Chuliã), men who follow no other occupation than that of sailor. This man gained a lot of money at that work, and in time became rich. He went to live in the kingdom of Pegu, where he grew still richer, and he married a woman of the country, who was both noble and handsome. Upon finding himself so well off, he began to drink the spirits of Pegu, made from the rice called polo, which are of rather good quality. Some time after his marriage his wife fell seriously ill, and died of that illness, to the great grief of her husband, he being very fond of her. All the same, he did not give up drinking. Three days after her death all the slaves in his household assembled dressed in mourning, and went to present themselves before him in the gardens, where he had been shut up the greater part of the night drinking. They made great demonstrations of affliction. When he saw this novel performance he asked what all this sorrow meant. They replied that they had lost a well-conducted mistress, a woman of great kindness, and they would never be able to find another like her.