Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-11-16
THE PILGRIMAGE 70 MECCA.
Hew the Holy Carpet ia Carried Co the
Prophets Tomb---sunerInE Of the Pil-


Mohammedan countries recently be-
cause the "holy litter" came into vio-
lent contact with a telegraph wire
while the sacred caravan was on its
way to Mecca, by reason Of which desc
Grafton the caravan must return to
Cairo and be formed anew instead of
pursuing its way to the Holy and
Exalted City" These were the
reasons for the excitement caused by
this collision between telegraph wire
and the "holy litter =: Mahomet or
dered all Moslems to become hadji or
"holy worshipers by visiting the
"kabbah or sanctuary at least once
during their lives, and any adult Turk
who fails to do this acts in direct op-
position to the Koran. Women are
not only exempt from this pilgrimage
but are strictly forbidden to approach
the tomb Of the Prophet, as they are
considered unclean. They may make
the journey by proxy. One bold
woman, the Mameluke princess " Pearl
Tree" however, insisted upon worship
ing in person at Mecca, and as she
would have forced her way thither if
any opposition had been offered to her
advance, the imams and hawadgas,
when they saw that she was in earnest,
wisely made the best of bad job and
actually blessed the mammal or
"holy litter" suspended between
two camels, IN which she
Travelled. Since the time Of this
feminine victory Cairo has enjoyed
the privilege of sending the mammal
to Mecca every year. But the litter
no longer carries live princess. 1t
contains the holy carpet, which is made
at Constantinople and sent to Cairo.
There, after being embroidered in gold
and pearls, it is filed with treasure,
which the khediye annually sends as
an offering to the Holy City. The
value Of this treasure is only known to
the khedive and his treasurer, who
seal the carpet up with the viceregal
seal, and then deliver it to the chief
emir or leader of the caravan, who
must present the holy carpet with seals
intact to the grand shereef Of Mecca.
AS these seals were broken by the ac-
cident mentioned above, the emir
naturally did not feel justified in pro-
ceeding unless the khedive once more
counted the treasure himself and re-
sealed the carpet on finding its con-
tents correct.
Twice only has the holy caravan been
thus delayed. Just before the Crimean
war it was attacked by twenty thou
sand Bedouins, who killed every man
and beast belonging to it. AS this dis
aster was closely followed by the Rus
sian attack on Turkey the Turks as
cribed that attack to the desecration
of the caravan. Again in 1877 the
caravan was lost in the Arabian desert
and the Russians again declared war
against Turkey Immediately afterward.
No doubt remained in the minds even
of the most enlightened Mussulmans
after this that great calamities must
be expected to follow closely upon any
mishap Detailing the holy pilgrimage.
Before the cutting Of the Suez canal
the holy caravans were enormous,
often numbering 100000 pilgrims and
more than half million camels. Now
by far the greatest number of worship
ers 60 by sea to Jeddah, on the Ara
bian coast Of the Red sea, whence the
Journey to Mecca is covered in a few
days, thus reducing the holy caravan
to $4,000 pilgrims and $4,000 camels,
which have been the average figures of
the last ten years.
Three months previously to the de-
parture Of the pilgrimage from Con-
stantinople and Cairo the streets of
every Mohammedan city are paraded
by professions Of Moslem priests ac-
companied by musicians and soldiers
and followed by the camels which are
to carry the worshipers through the
dreadful desert to Mecca. Upon the
approach of these professions the in
habitants mount to the roofs of their
houses to pray. and when the string Of
camels passes they throw money and
Jewels into wide litters which are fixed
on the backs Of the camels. These Of
ferings go toward defraying the ex-
penses of the caravan, and especially
toward supporting those of the hadgis
who cannot afford the expenses Of the
pilgrimage. These professions 60 from
town to town, gathering in camels
worshipers ana money as they move
On the African continent they proceed
from Tripoli, Algiers, Tunis, Barbary
Nubia and the Soudan in the city Of
Cairo; in European Turkey they pro
ceed to Constantinople, and in Asia
Minor and Syria to Damascus.
AS three-quarters- of the distance
between either Of these cities ant
Mecca lies through the dreaded desert
great preparations have to be made fol
food, and especially for water, which
is carried in enormous skins, and al
the pest is dangerous, being per
petually exposed to the terrible heat O.