Note 21 — CHAP. III. RESIDENCE OF THE MISSION AT BUSHIRE.

“A circumstance, connected with the more permanent superstitions of Persia, occurred during the first part of our stay at Bushire, which may be worth mentioning. A Derveish settled himself for many days at the door of the Assistant Resident’s house, and did not quit it till he had extorted from the Envoy a donation of ten rupees. These men wander about from place to place; and, as their demands are sanctioned by long usage, they levy wherever they go, their established dues.[*] Mr. Bruce told me, that on his first arrival in the country, a Derveish came to him and asked the sum of ten piastres; he was refused, but he persisted that he would not depart till he should receive it. He accordingly stationed himself at the door, and commenced his conjuring, crying ‘Hag, Hag, Hag,’ unceasingly for days and nights, till he had worked himself up into a frenzy, in which his cries became quite horrible. To get rid of such a nuisance, Mr. Bruce was glad at last to pay the price which his tormentor originally charged. Mr. Manesty, the East India Company’s Resident at Bussorah, was attacked more formidably, and defended himself with more perseverance, but without better success. A Derveish demanded a hundred piastres, and being of course refused, settled himself at the door, and remained there two years, when Mr. Manesty was at last forced to yield, and paid the full sum required.

[*Lord Teignmouth, in an interesting Paper in the Asiat. Res. IV. p. 334-5, mentions a similar custom (“sitting Dherna”) in a different religion. “Brahmins even in Calcutta have been known to obtain charity or subsistence from the Hindus, by posting themselves before the door of their houses, under a declaration to remain there until their solicitations were granted.” The religious mendicants of India have sometimes assembled in a body of 5000 men.]

“From Mr. Bruce also I learned the following more curious tale. Mr. Hankey Smith since he has been the Resident at Bushire, was told that a Derveish wished to see him: but believing that he was one of those, who make these tours of licensed pillage through the country, he desired that the man might be sent away with the customary and unavoidable donation of a few piastres. He was informed however, that his visitor was no common Derveish; that he was in fact the Peish-namaz (the Chief Priest) of Bushire, and a man of corresponding reputation among his people. The stranger was accordingly admitted and received with every civility. In a second visit he asked so many questions about Calcutta, Mr. Hastings, and his trial, and other subjects which were equally new in the conversation of a Derveish, that the Resident candidly told him, that he believed him to be no Mussulman. The conjecture was well-founded: the Peish-Namaz immediately acknowledged that he was a Frenchman of the name of Talamash; that he had served the English government under Mr. Hastings, and having received some disgust, had quitted Calcutta; and since that time had done nothing but travel. He had been all over India, thence to Cashmire, and had resided a long time at Cabul in the court of Zemaun Shah; and had traversed the greater part of Persia, in every place imposing himself upon the people as the devoutest of the true believers. He was a very intelligent man, and had particularly made himself master of all the secrets of the Affghan politics, and had acquired a possession of the languages so complete and correct, that the finest native ear could detect no foreign accent. Probably no European ever saw so much of Asia, or saw it to such advantage. From Bushire he went to Bahrein, where also he was made the Peish-Namaz. From Bahrein he proceeded to Surat; where his varied and accurate knowledge of the manners, customs, and languages of all the different nations and classes in the mixed population of that city, divided, according to Mr. Bruce, the opinions of the people; and made the Arabs claim him as an original Arab; the Persians, as a Persian; and the Mussulmans of Hindoostan as equally their own. From this place M. Talamash addressed the English government of India, and conveyed to them more particularly his knowledge of the views of the Affghan court: but his communications did not receive the attention which he expected, and being left without the hope of employment again in India, he repaired to the Mauritius. There he associated with a band of adventurers like himself, fitted out a small vessel as a privateer, and went into the Red Sea. But here he fell in with the Leopard, Admiral Blanket; and thinking her an Indian ship, made an attempt to board her, and was of course taken. He was then sent to Bombay, and thence got once more to the Mauritius, from which time nothing more has been heard of him.

“This is a very rare instance of the successful assumption by an European of an Eastern character. I have known, in Turkey, several renegado Englishmen, who could never sufficiently disguise themselves to be taken for original Mussulmans.”

It must be understood, however, that Talamash is believed to have been born at Constantinople, of a French father indeed, yet from his earliest youth to have been unfettered by a conformity to European usages.