Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1830-04-07

site, with stones cut out of the five holy
mountains. 1t was intrusted to the care
of ten thousand angels, who, however,
have been so extremely negligent, that
the edifice has been repeatedly destroy
ed and rebuilt. 1t is enveloped in vast
black silk robe, called the Kesoua, in
which are worked sentences of tho
Koran, partly in gold and silver. Tho
Grand Seignior annually renews tho
kesoua; when the old one reduced of.
ten nearly to rags, is cut in shreds, and
sold at high prices to devout Musselmen
The sacred character of the Kaaba,
is chiefly derived from still moro pro-
ftcious object enclosed within it, and be-
fore which the whole Mahommeden
world bows in the profoundest venera-
ton. This is the "black stone," which
Moslem devotion exalts high above every.
other earthly object. The story is, that
lshmacl, being in search of stone for
the repair of the temple, met the angel
Gabriel, who presented to him this, then
bright and shining, but which the touch
and sins of believers have since smooth
ed and darkened. Notwithstanding the
numerous angels charged with its safety,
doleiul vicissitudes chequer the story Of
the black stone. Once it fell into profane
hands, and was broken into three pieces;
but the faithful ,on recovering possession,
reduced the smaller fragments to pow
der, and employed them in cementing
the three larger, till the stone regained
its apparent unity. 1t is only on three
lnh Al
the gate of the Kaaba is thrown open,
and the pilgrims are admitted to the loft
lest privilege which Moslem faith can
confer, kiss of the black stone.
We have not yet closed the catalogue
of holy and precious objects enclosed in
the Beitullah. AT considerable space
beneath its floor, springs the fount of the
holy Zemzem, endowed with almost mir
acu!ous virtue to wash away the sins of
the faithful. 1t is enclosed within an
edlfice, continually crowded with pill
grims, who here find leathern buckets with
which they may draw the most copious
supplies of the sacred liquid. The well
appears almost inexhaustible, from the
circumstance that notwithstanding tho
immense consumption during the day, a
longer rope is not required to reach it in
the evening than in the morning. This
by the Meccaways, is esteemed mira
Gle but persons who have descended
to repair the well, state that they found
the water flowing consequently, it
must be supplied by subterraneous riv-
ulet The quality is not good, yet bet
ter than that of the other brackish
springs in this vicinity. The quantity
drunk by many pilgrims is perfectly in
credible. One, who lived in the same
house with Burckhardt, used to perseverc
till he could neither speak nor stand he
then lay down on the floor till he recov-
cred the power of resuming the sacred
llbation. When by this regimen he had
brought himself to the point of death, he
was unable to con- ecture any cause for
his illness but the not having imbibed
enough of this precious stream. The
water, when bottled up is conveyed to
the neigEboring countries, where it is sold
at high price, and esteemed fitting
present for the great and even for crown
ed heads. In this stream many pilgrims
wash the robe which is intended for their
winding-sheet thinking their souls will
hus rest in greater security.
These high and various ceremonies
he prostration in the mosquc-the walk
round the Kaaba-the kiss of the black
stone-and the most ample draughts of
the holy fountain, are still not enough to
perfect the character of a Hadj, or pill =
grim. He must, moreover, go in pill
grimagc to the Mount of Arafat, situa-
ted about twenty miles in the desert in
terror of the country. This is an ami
versary, to meet which all the pilgrim
regulate their arrival they
proceed attended by all the citizens of
Mecca even Jidda is then deserted,
and its gates are shut The procession
by our traveller was peculiar
y splendid being accompanied by
Mahommed Ali, with his favorite wife,
md by Solyman, Pasha of Damascus.
The pilgrims were estimated at 10000.
A day spent in prayer, or dissipation, as
he parties incline, is closed by sermon
rom the top of Arafat the being present
1t which finally completes the character
# Moslcm saint.
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ANEcDoTr OF Mn. WesIry-Ip tho