The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-07-29

at Jeddah, and massacred upwards of TWEEN
ty, including the English and French Con-
suls. Three British mcn-ofwar have been
ordered to the place. 9yS
A townsman and friend who has been at
Jeddah, in voyage, few years ago down
the Red Sea, and who spent some days there,
gives US an interesting description Of the
place and its inhabitants. IH
Jeddah, or Jeds, oras tits sometimes spelt
in Arabic, Jedjah, is on the Eastern shore
about three hundred miles down the Red
Sea, from Snez. The approach to the town
from the sea is very difficult for sailing
vessels, in consequence of the coral reefs,
which extend pvt SONG distance from either
coast covering nearly one third Of the
breadth of the sea. The channels to the
different ports through these reefs are very
tortuous, and the approaches to the towns
arc difficult and dangerous. Such is especial
ly the case at Jeddah.
The town contains about IL, 900 inhabit-
ants exclusive of Pilgrims and Strangers,
and they are composed of the mixed races
of Arabs, Egyptians, Turks, Greek-ChriS-
tians, Moors, Philippians, and Bedouins.-
The town is on,a sandy fiat, and its houses
are constructed chiefly of rattan, mating,
and other very frail and light materials;
though there are few dwellings construct
ed of coraline rock, taken from the sea,
which affords good stone for building, and
furnishes good lime for laying it.
There are French, English, and Greek
consuls stationed there. The government
is an arbitrary rule Of the Pasha, who is the
deputy of the Pasha of Egypt. His will is
law, and in the administration of it there is
no restraint, nor recourse in an appeal from
it. Punishment, which is generally the
bastinado, for all classes, is inflicted without
delay wherever the culprit is caught, though
il was the custom to take the offender to
the public square in the centre of the city
The commerce of the town is very con-
siderable, consisting principally Of the trade
in rice from India, and grain and pulse
brought over the desert from Egppt--fol
feeding the population-and in salt from
Corsair. But Jeddah is most remarkable
for being the port Of Mecca, at which the
vast concourse of pilgrims annually land in
their pilgrimage to the holy Mahommetan
shrine Mecca is situated about 80 miles
inland, from Jeddah, on an oasis, in the
midst Of numerous springs that gush up
from the earth around IT, There is no fresh
water along the borders of the Red Sea
nearer to the coast than Mecca, except at the
foot Of Mount Sinai, where Moses smote the
rock, and where, at the present day, flow.
water of the purest and most limpid kind
amid beautiful and shady palm trees. Tn,
whole coast, from Suez to Aden,-a distance
of 600 miles-is an arid desert, over which
not shrub or blade of grass is to be seen
The only relief to the desolate scene is tn
mirage, which cheats the traveller with de
lusive lakes and streams Of water and yer
dant groves.
Around Jeddah is spread the unvaryin
desert, that occupies the whole coast. TIL
fruits and vegetables consumed by its in
habitants, consisting of melons, figs, dates
&C., are brought to it from the vicinity O
Mecca Every drop of water used to ALA,
the parching thirst of the jewellers in thi
desert city is brought from Mecca, in hog
skins, on the backs of mules, and retaile
in the streets, by Ethiopian water carrier,
who, with little brass cock inserted in
leg of the skin, and with metallic basin il
hand, draw and serve the thirsty citizen
that crowd about them, in the streets, for
drink. Our informant thinks the most re
freshing and delicious drinks he has eve
taken, were those he imbibcd in the street
of Jeddah, from the basins of these blac
watermen, which had been commended I
the dirty lips of the crowd of Arabs, Turk
and Philippians who took precedence
him in draughts from the filthy hog ski
kept at tepid temperature by the heat
the weather and that of the mule. No on
appreciates the inestimable value and blcs,
Jag Of water till he gets into the deserts
Asia and Africa, says our friend. y jorl
ney through them is necessary to make on
fully sensible of bounties which the Gre.
tor has scattered in such liberia, proyisio
over other regions. How the vast caravan
that pass these deserts to Mecca, support the:
privations. it is difficult to conceive.
The number of Pilgrims that arrive al
nually at Jeddah, it is impossible to est
mate. When it is remembered that Il
Mehommedan's faith teaches him that a pi
grimage to the Shrine Of the Prophet insur,
him an entrance into Paradise, and TIL
Egypt, Ethiopia, Northern Africa, the Me-
itesranean Isles, Turkey in Europe, all Ii
Arabic tribes, Belochistan, Afghanistan, an
a portion of Asia, containing nearly Oh
quarter Of the worlds population, send al
nualy their devotecs to Mecca, we can cor
ceive the number Of these gathered hos
which compose the motley throng of pill
aWua l.