Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-11-16
NUMBER II.

and water gratis on the way. He is
sure, however, to be murdered BY his
companions should anything go wrong
for should their provisions give out
they and their camels would be left 10
die in the desert BY the other mem
bers Of the caravan, who have quite
enough to do to look out for their own
safety. The pilgrims always COM
mence their journey on Friday.
Prayers are said in the mosques, after
which the caravan moves through tie
streets, which are lined with soldiers,
military bands playing at short inter-
walls. First in the procession goes a
donkey, which always leads a caravan
and is closely followed by the canels,
which are attached to each other and
to the donkey by a rope made of
camels' hair, the string being several
miles in length. By the sides
of the first lot of camels ride the reis,
the chief imams and the sorrah emir
or guardian Of the purse, who Is in
trusted by the government with
large amount of money which is sup
posed to go toward defraying the ex-
penses Of the caravan, but in reality is
paid as blackmail to Bedouins, Kurds
and Tartars, large bodies Of whom Lie
in wait for the hadgis and as they
come up demand certain amount Of
money before they will allow the car
avian to pass unmolested. These rob-
bers, after receiving the money, follow
the caravan for miles, never losing a
chance Of falling upon stragglers and
detached bodies, whom they kill and
then decamp with all their property.
On the first day of the march the car
avan camps at about three miles from
the city, where it remains for five days
to allow laggard members to join it,
after which it proceeds on its way
journeying about twenty-five miles A
day. As frequent halts are made Of
from three to seven days, the journey
from Constantinople to Mecca takes
about sixty-fve days, that from Da-
mascus about forty-ive and that from
Cairo forty. It has been ascertained
that on an average only forty-five per
cent. of the pilgrims ever return to
their native towns, fifty-five per cent.
dying in going or returning or during
their stay in Mecca. More than once
the large number Of corpses left un-
buried have produced plaques which
have decimated the population Of the
Mediterranean countries and Travelled
over the world.
The greatest sufferings of the pill
grims begin about thirty days before
their arrival at Mecca, and last UP to
the time when they reach that city;
that is to say, during the whole Of The
month of Ramazan. During this time
no Mohammedan, man, woman or
child, must eat, drink or smoke from
midnight Of one day to sunset Of the
next, and the agonies Of marching
through the burning sand for hours
without so much as sip of water can
not adequately be described. The
caravan is met at three days march
from the holy city by the sacred
priests, who welcome the weary pil-
grims, and on their arrival at the
tomb of the Prophet deliver their Of
ferings to the representatives Of the
grand shereef Of Mecca.
No known Christian has ever been
allowed to enter the gates Of Mecca,
and should an infdel be discovered Ii
the town he would certainly be put to
death. But at least three Europeans
in our time, who had for years studied
the Turkish language and faith, have
contrived to introduce themselves into
it disguised as holy pilgrims, the most
noted of these being the English
traveller, Burton.--Ne10 York World.