h frightful consequences to the population; and during
their few days' sojourn at Busserah, he says, many victims fell by that
awful visitation. The city itself was in sad disorder, business entirely
suspended, and many of the richer inhabitants had fled from the scene of
terror and dismay. No accommodation for travellers within his means could
be procured by Meer Hadjee Shah, and he was constrained to set out on foot
with his companions, after providing themselves with provisions for a few
days.

Unused to walk any great distance of late, and the effects of the short
voyage not being entirely removed, he grew weary ere the first day's march
was ended; 'But here', he says, 'I found how kind my Creator was to me,
who put it into the hearts of my companions to take it by turns to carry
me, until we arrived within sight of Feringhee Bargh[7] (Foreigners'
Garden), where we found many of the healthy inhabitants from Bushire had,
with permission, taken refuge, some in tents, others without a shelter;
and in their haste to flee from danger, had forsaken all their possessions,
and neglected provision for present comfort; a change of garments even had
been forgotten in their haste to escape from the pestilential city.

'Never', he says, 'shall I forget the confusion presented at this place
nor the clamorous demands upon us, whom they esteemed religious men, for
our prayers and intercessions that the scourge might be removed from them.
I could not help thinking and expressing also, "How ready weak mortals are
to supplicate for God's help when death or affliction approaches their
threshold, who in prosperity either forget Him entirely or neglect to seek
Him or to obey His just commands."

'The next day our march led us to the vicinity of a large populated town.
We halted near a plantation of date-trees, and one of our mendicant
pilgrims was dispatched with money to purchase bread and dates for our
sustenance, with instructions to conceal, if possible, our numbers and our
halting-place, fearing that the inhabitants might assail us with stones if
it were suspected that we came from the infected city. The quantity of
food, however, required for so large a party excited suspicion, but our
preservation was again secured by Divine interference.

'A Dirzy[9] from the city visited our resting-place, and finding we were
pilgrims, asked permission to travel with us to Kraabaallah, which was
readily agreed to, and when a host of men were o