Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-06-23

hanging down their backs, they had
scarcely any clothing, and their faces
were almost blackened by exposure to
the sun.
Next came the great object of attrac-
tion-the Mammal, the giided case in
which the Kisweh is taken to Mecca.
Over it hung q golden canopy, and it
was borne by magnificent camel, Gov
cred with embroidery, who, at the end
of the pilgrimage, is exempted from all
future work and treated royalty all the
rest of his days. The people went
rather mad over the Mammal and its
canopy, and the attendants had to en-
dure much hugging. Still, there was
nothing like the religious enthusiasm I
expected over either the Mammal or the
pilgrims. TO touch this canopy used
to be esteemed an inestlmable blessing,
and Me- homet said of the pilgrim, "God
pardoneth the pilgrim and him for
whom the pilgrim imploreth pardon"
In the old days mad crowd struggled
and fought to touch the fringe, and
each pilgrim was beset with the inces-
SAINT cry, "Pray for pardon for me-, O
pilgrim" But religious enthusiasm ks
going out of fashion in the East just
at the moment it seems to be reviving
little in the West. There has not
been new mosque built in Damascus
for the last twenty years, and there are
literally scores lying around in ruins in
and about the city. Formerly it was de
1'Sg1eat7 for rich men to make large gifts
to the churches, and many mosques are
rich in the presents of departed devo-
tees. Such donations have now quite
gone out of fashion. But fanaticism and
the habit of prayer remain es strong as
ever. A few months ago the English
Consul was attacked by fanatical Mos
lem, and only month ago q fierce on
slaught on English Professionalism was
made in the official journal of Syria.
When the Muezzin calls to prayer the
shopkeeper still leaves his bargain, and
even the rider will often get down from
his horse and fall to his prostration and
prayers with all the regularity of i'm
memorial custom.
After the Mammal came some more
very holy men, but this time on horse
back. They were stripped to the waist,
wore no headdress, their hair was long
and matted, they perpetually rolled their
heads from side to side, and in this
fashion they had gone all the way to
Mecca and back-an eighty days jour
ney, glorifylng Allah and his Prophet.
Some dervishes followed, in tall, brown
felt hats and green robes, the color in
dicating their claim to direct descent
from the Prophet. They were sue
ceeded by the rank and file of the cara
van on camels, all jammed together in
brown, shaggy, mass, like cattle on
Hamburg boat. Bands of music, cam
non, cavalry; and troops of Bedouins
closed the procession.
| About a, 1000 pilgrims, on an average,
leave on this annual pilgrimage. The
road lies through wild country, and
all along the route the Bedouin tribes
have to he subsidized to avoid brigand
age. Each sheik has his black-mail in
money or goods fixed by immemorial
custom; huge cases Of goods and silver
dollars form part of the caravan, and
the tex is dropped en- route with the re-
gularity of a London parcels delivery
cart. The pilgrims bring back coffee
and carpets in large quantities, as well
as certainty of Paradise, and the COM
mercial idea is crowding out the reli-
gious. One or two hundred slaves al
ways form part of the merchandise
brought away from the Holy City. It is
one of the chief emporiums of the
East African slave trade, and the mar
ket for the maintenance Of the Arabian
and Persian harems- But this year
there was considerable smallpox in
Mecca, and the pilgrims did not dare to
bring away the usual supply. The
trade has, of course been long forbid
den by the Turkish Government, but it
continues to be carried on with very
slight attempt at secrecy, at any rate in
Damascus. I had not time this year to
make the round of the slave markets
there, but two years ago I visited two
different lots in the city, and slaves
were offered to me at prices varying
from EGO to E2OO. A conversation {
had not long ago with native of Catlio
illustrates fairly the real position of the
slave trade in the Ottoman Empire.
"Could I buy slave now?" I asked,
"Oh, no, certainly not" was the reply !;
cit is forbidden to have slaves at all.
''But, I PERSISTED, '.if I really wanted
one could [ not get one2" "Oh. yes"
said my friend, ''of course you can get
them, but it is quite against the law"
Natural Philosophy.
There is good deal of philosophy
about the words of the cool, reflective
individual who smokes and talks to his
better half in the annexed: The girl is