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

68 AISTORY OF THE PARSTS. [CHAP. II.

Navy will not, I believe, note one fault; for they were not only satisfied but much gratified by the inspection. Being much on board, I had opportunities of hearing the opinions of most people belonging to the King’s yard at Portsmouth: they all, common shipwrights as well as their officers, expressed approbation. I have heard many of them declare that no ship so highly finished or composed throughout of material so good had been launched from any of His Majesty’s dockyards, or any yard in England, during the last fifty years; nor was the scarcity of good timber likely to admit such selection of that article for any one ship as was observable in the Minden for many years to come. We have found her in all circumstances answer extremely well —in my opinion better than any ship in which I have sailed hitherto.

“The Minden excited general attention, and had many visitors of distinction on board while at Portsmouth. The great order in which she was kept by Captain Hoare drew flattering encomiums on himself and officers, and contributed not a little advantageously to the exhibition of this first grand and interesting specimen of the resources we have for the support of our maritime superiority in the forests of Hindustan.”

After this testimony to his ability Jamshedji might well be proud of his work. ‘The Lords of the