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

84 HISTORY OF THE PARSIS. [CHAP. II.

and crew of the Brunswick were sent to Sessantilz, where Mr. Turner resided. On the recommendation of Captain Grant Mr. Turner took me to his house. At the time there was a great scarcity of rice, and even for 35 or 40 dollars one could not get a bag of rice. There was an order that each man was to eat half a pound of rice a day, wheaten cakes and apes three days in a week. Sheep's meat is cheap, but the rest of edibles dear. On our voyage to Madagascar we were ill treated by the Lascars, who were sent from the men-of-war on board the Brunswick. The French captam was informed that a conspiracy was laid by the Parsi, Mussulman, and the four Englishmen to murder him. Thereupon he put us all under arrest, and we were threatened with still worse treatment. But amongst the four Englishmen there happened to be one who knew French, and who explained the circumstances and got our kit searched, and on finding no dangerous instruments with any of us, the captain again set us at large. Our troubles in this respect were inexpressible. ‘When we arrived at Sessantilz we found a Danish ship ready to sail for Bengal. Captain Grant told us that he would send us to Bengal by that ship. The commander of that vessel said he had no berths available. I said that I would be willing to be stowed away in any part of the ship. The commander asked eight hundred dollars for the Parsi and