"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الجزء II. ج. ج. لوريمر. ١٩١٥" [‎٢‎٣‎٨‎٧] (١٢٦٢/٩٠٤)

2387
160 a
and Alfonso Nur Din and Philippa Muradah, the latter a
woman, belonging to the same family, were converted to
Christianity.)
1623. After the loss of Hormuz by the Portuguese^ a Carmelite
convent was founded at Basrah by Father Basil de St.
V ran^is,* a Portuguese Carmelite, (under orders from the
Archbishop of Goa to attempt the conversion of the Sabians
of Basrah, a task that had previously been undertaken
without success by Father Matthew, an Englishman, and by
Father Nicholas de la Vega, who erected a house and chapel
at Basrah with the consent of the Pasha).
1624. A Carmelite foundation came into existence at Shiraz under
Father Jean Thadee and Father Peter of St. Thomas ; and
in ^ the same year Gativanda, the mother of a Georgian
Prince, was, after an imprisonment lasting 11 years, cruelly
put to death at ShTraz for refusing to abjure Christianity.
1625. (The Carmelites of the Persian Mission and the Augustines of
Goa^ had each an establishment at Basrah and received
subsidies from the Turkish Pasha ; there was some friction
between the two. On the 13th of April a church built by
the Carmelites was dedicated with much ceremony; the
Pasha sent a guard of honour of 500 men, and himself
afterwards visited the building, where he gave a money
donation,)
1632. The first Latin Bishop of Isfahan received consecration, in the
person of Mgr. Jean Thadee, a Spanish Carmelite.
1638. The first Bishop of Babylon {i.e., of Baghdad) was appointed,
viz., Mgr. Bernard du Val, a French Carmelite.
1639. The traveller Tavernier arrived at Basrah bringing news of
the birth of Louis XIV, and the happy event was celebrated
by the Carmelite fathers there with religious observances
and rejoicings.
1662. There was printed at Rome a celebrated work by Father
Ignace de Jesus, Carmelite missionary at Basrah, entitled
Aarratio originis, rituum, et errorum Chnstianorum Sancti
Johannis, {i,e., of the Sabians).
1666. Father Ange de St, Joseph, a French Carmelite of Toulouse,
missionary to Shiraz and Basrah, became celebrated through
out the country for his skill in medicine, especially by his
successful cure of a severe wound sustained by a Persian
General, ^Ali, in the defence of Basrah against the Turks.
In recognition of his services the Persian Governor of
Aocording to Manuel de Faria j Sousa, however, the founders were Father
ohn de los Santos and Joseph, of the Presentation; the Pasha gave them power
^er all the Christians, Chaldaeans, Nestorians, and Jews; and many Chaldaeans
were baptised. Basrah was after this the chief religious station of the" Portuguese ;
jnd their success, for a time, in converting even Muhammadans was such as to cause
onsternation among the Qadhis. Father Basil, who apparently succeeded the
iginal founders, had much success among the Sabians, and was able, after only six
onths study, to preach in Persian, Arabic, and Turkish.