Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-04-25

The roofs of the houses are all fat, and
form pleasant places to sit IA the cool in
the evening, From them fine views are
obtained Of the surrounding sen and
land. But if you would see Jeddah to
perfection, Ego visit 1t by pale moon
light" Then the view from the housetop
is vertable fairy scene-such depthsOf
| light and shade, such fantastic shadows !
Below, in the narrow streets, the heavy
easements seem to defy the moonbenms
to enter while beyond the white walls of
the city, the dreary desert is lit up as
brightly as by the noon-day sun.
As in most Eastern towns, the centre
of life in Jeddah is the bazlar. Here
beats the pulse of the city. Here the
current news is discussed and commented
on. Here the merchants buy and sell.
and haggle'over their bargains. Through.
out the morning there is perfect Babel
of veices Owing to the large number Of
| pilgrims who pass through Jeddah, on
their to way Mecca, the bazaar is far larg
er than the size of the town would lead
you to expect it consists Of one broad
| thoroughfare about half mile i'll length
lined on either side with shops and cafes,
and covered in with coarse mating, as n
protection from the SIMS rays. Out of
this main thoroughfIre lead numerous
small streets, each street, as a rule, be-
ing occupied by the worlmen at some
particular trade, or tho venders Of siini-
lar wares. All natonalities are represen-
ted but Turks, Greeks aud Syriaus pre-
dominate. Every type and variety Of
the Arab race is to be met with i'll the
bazaar-picturesqu Bedouins, armed to
the teeth grave merchants from Medic
and other far-of towns, true aristocrats IL
appearance and mien swarthy Nubians
and degenerate Egytians all these, and
many others, mingled with Persians,
Turks, Greeks and Banians, form indeed
q motley crew.
The only industries peculiar to Jeddah
and they are hardly worthy of the name
are the manufacture Of black coral into
brads and cigarette holders, and the or
namentation Of pearlshell. The foimer,
Which is peculiar to this part Of the Red
Sea, takes a polish equal to the fines, jet,
and is of considerable value. Excellent
artifcors in silver, brass and iron are
found in Jcddah, the brass.work being
fully equal to that for which Bennres has
30 long been famous. The Turkish shops
are perhaps the most brilliant. with their
amber and embroidered robes. Alto
gether the bazaar presents bright and
animated scene, and the contrast is great
as you pass from it into the deserted
streets outside. Travellers from Jeddah
to Mecca pass ont of the city by the
northern. or, as it is generally called the
Mecca Gate" Close to the gate is q
| small bazaar, consisting for the most part
of cookshops, where pilgrims buy their
| provisions fer the march to Mecca. Dur
ing the pilgrim season continuous stream
! of caravans passes under the frOwninG
| nrpl, pDuDlnzal b6 Mn
sulmans from the most distant parts OF
+ the world from AfGhanstan, from Ceylon, 4,
D from Burmah and the Malay Peninsula :
s from the far-uf waters of the Blue Nile
\ over desert anl sea. MS though fire and
e water. thousands press yearly to offer u
a prayer at the birthplace of their prophet.
= No wonder then, that the Moslem thinks
e the "prayerless Christian cold and want
4 ing in religious zeal. The road to Mecca
II passes, for the first ten miles, over level
!. desert and thence rises gradually over u
Y small range Of hills aud again decends to
: Mecca. Christians are not allowed to
= pass into the territory Of the High Cher
+ if without permission, and on no cousid-
n Grafton are they allowed to approach
Il within sight Of the holy city. \ Christ
e ian, however, with a good knowledge Of
s Arabic, would nowadays iud little diff
/ ticultv fn visiting the city i'll disguise .
e whether the Journey is worth the trouble
o and risk attending it is Il matter on which
: travellers who have made 1t differ.
b Situated in the dessert, about Il quart
: er of mile from the western gate of the
e City of Jeddah, is nm object of interest to
e Christian and Mussulman alike-the
e grave of, as she is called in Arabic, ''aii-
e tina Hawwa the mother of mankind. Ii
v il difficult to trace the origin of the leg
! ed that allots to Eve this dessert tomb
e as her last resting-place and it is doubt
l. ful whether it is of anv great antiquity,
II However this may be, the tomb is regard
a ed with great veneralou ny tue numer-
IL GUS pilgrims who visit Jeddah, and few
It fail TO worship at the shrine. The grave
itself bears witness TO the truth of the
saving, that there were giants IN the
earth in those days, for 1t is no less than
:. $40 feet in length The outline of the
grave is marked by two low parallel walls,
y about 3 feet inches in height and S feet
apart. Two date palms are planted mt the
l. foot of the grave, which lies toward Nee
q ca. Over the center OF the grave SINAI
b. dome shaped mosque has been erected.
e in which pilgrims offer up their prayers.
II In the center of thia mosque is dark
y colored oblong stone. supposed to rest
e on the womb of Our compou ancestress ;
o this, stone, which is worn smooth by the
l. kisses of pilgrims, ~ hidden from the vut-
IS gar gaze by a covering os curtains, which
n are. however, drawn asida by the ntten-
y dant on the presentation of small
e "backsheesh. 4 rUn1sr ofcf generate,
Il and not very refpeotsdi, specimens OF
5. Ewes sex haunt tie ~i'iLi;S % ine tomb
3 nd clamor for g 49,.