55
of them representing one of the two main cliques in the Konkan com-
munity, have little influence. They are merely registrars of marriages
and divorces, and even for the registration of these contracts they do
not possess the exclusive right over the large non-Konkan element in
Bombay.
With all these hindrances the intelligent and faithful help affored
to Plague measures by certain members of the Sunni Musalman com-
munity, notably by Maulavi Hidayatulla, Khan Bahadur Fazlullab,
Messrs. Kazi Kabiruddin, Hakim Muhammad Dayam and others, in
some cases at personal risk and loss, was highly creditable.
The Memons, both Kachhis and Hallais (that is, from North-East
Kathiawar) have also suffered severely. There are excellent citizens,
especially among the Kachhi Memons, who have given willing and in-
telligent help. But the communities are broken into cliques and the
leaders have only a limited authority. The Bohoras and Khojahs have
the advantage of strong and enlightened leaders. The Khojahs suffered
severely in November in consequence of infection spread by a well-to-do
family in Umarkhadi, who brought the sickness from Poona. H.. H. Aga
Khan enforced the rule of sending the sick to hospitals and advised
inoculation, and the Khojahs on the whole have behaved excellently,
declaring their cases of sickness and sending the sick to hospital.
Mr. Muhammad Ibrahim Hasham Bhalu, the benevolent Khojah
gentleman who opened a Khojah Plague Hospital at Don-Tod Street in
March 1897, also opened a Segregation and Contact House on khodak
Paidhowni Road, where at his expense the poorer inmates were supplied
with food. Mr. Muhammadbhai also arranged for setting apart a shed
or ward for the Khojahs at the Narielwadi Camp, where at his cost
food was supplied and bedding furnished to all Khojah arrivals from
up-country. Before Mr. Muhammadbhai's private hospital was started, a
Khojah Subscription Hospital was opened near the Victoria Gardens.
This was under the supervision of Mr. Ismail Jan Muhammad, but
owing to its distance from the Khojah quarters of the city, it was not
a success. It was closed on the opening of the Don-Tod Hospital.
Under the Head Mula Saheb and Mr. Adamji Pirbhai and his
sons, messrs. Muhammadbhai and Abdul Hussein Adamji, the Bohoras,
in spite of their notable fondness for secrecy, have declared their cases
and moved the sick and a large proportion of the contacts to Mr. Adamji
Pirbhai's excellent sanitarium in Queen's Road, which was set apart
as a Plague Hospital and Segregation House. The name of Mr. Hasan
Ali and his success in persuading his fellow Bohoras to take their sick