History of the Parsis : including their manners, customs, religion and present position : with coloured and other illustrations : in two volumes

cHaP.1.] AW ATTEMPTED CONVERSION. 41

early Christians were not over-scrupulous in their work is shown by the wholesale conversion, in name at least, of a large mass of Hindus in Salsette, who, up to the present day, have about as much idea of _ Christianity as the inhabitants of Timbuctoo,—their religion being a mixture of Hindu and Christian rites and ceremonies. It would appear as if the Roman Catholic missionaries once intended to compel the Parsis in a similar way to become Christians, because tradition says that on one occasion the authorities of the place issued an order to that effect. The Parsis, seeing that open resistance would be futile, contrived by the following artful scheme to escape the religious persecution with which they were threatened. They accordingly went to the governor in a body, and said that they were ready to embrace Christianity, and that they had really felt inclined to do so before. They also expressed themselves willing to be baptized on the following Sunday, but requested two or three days’ grace to enable them to worship their sacred fire for the last time, and also to have a day of rejoicing among themselves prior to their conversion. The Portuguese were so gratified at this readiness to be converted that a proclamation to this effect was issued, namely, “that on the day fixed no one should interfere with the Parsis in the performance of their rites and ceremonies or in their

mode of rejoicing.” The Parsis then prepared a sumptu-