Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-03-14
GOING TO MECCA.

An Account Of Pilgrimages to the Holy
City OF the Mohammedans.
The number of devout visitors to
Mecca has greatly fallen of since the
memorable year Of 1873. when 200. OOO
pilgrims hocked to the holy city from
all parts of the Mohammedan world.
During the past season. according to
the British Consul at Jeddah, 46.O2o
devotees kissed the famous black stone
In the Kaaka- In other words, Mecca
entertained about the average number
of visitors, though in the early part OF
this century the annual influx was
nearly double that of recent years.
Contrary to the general belief. it Is
not remarkably difficult for European
Christian to visit Mecca, though the
exploit is seldom attempted. DIR.
Hurgronje. of Holland. has just pub
lished the story of his six months
experiences in Mecca in 1885.
when he lived there in the guise
of a Mohammedan Effendi, not
only during the pilgrim season. but
also for two months thereafter. when
the Meccans, fattening on the spoils OF
the pilgrims, forget to be avaricious,
and became humane and sociable. ALI
Mecca lives on the pilgrims, and every
body makes all the hay he can while
the sun shines.
Both Burton and Hurgronje say the
safest time to visit Mecca is during the
height of the pilgrim season, when dis
guise is comparatively easy on account
of the Babel of languages and the vast
and varied multitudes. With a fat
pocket-book and familiarity with Mo-
hammedan prayers and cerem onies,
the stranger can then with little diff
Guilty pass unnoticed in the throng.
His danger at all times comes not SO
much from the authorities as from the
fanatical mob, who would rend the
hapless infidel with the greatest
pleasure if they fathomed his secret
DR.. Hurgronje's real character was at
last exposed by a thoughtless French
man at Jeddah, and the intruder bare
ly escaped with his life.
The five Europeans who have pene-
trated to the inner sanctuary of Islam
agree that the direst evils and the most
terrible sufferings attend these vast ex-
cursions to the holy city. Woe be to
the pilgrim. his pious zeal exceeding
his discretion, who undertakes this
long journey with meager resources.
The Sheiks of Mecca have each from
twenty to thirty agents, whose voca-
ton resembles that of New York hotel
runners in the old days, and whose
devices for tightening the pilgrims
purse are ingenious and manifold. At
the goal of all his hopes he finds the
poorest crust exorbitantly dear and
charity all but unknown. Burton saw
many half-starved pilgrims, with
death depicted in their faces" and it
is no uncommon sight to see the de-
voices drop in their tracks and die al
most unnoticed upon the highway.
It is probable that the greed and
callousness of the spendthrift Meccans,
who disburse SO lavishly this money
they easily win, has considerably inn
paired the productiveness of the goose
that lays their golden eggs. At any
rate, in spite of the modern travelling
facilities which the pilgrims from most
parts of the Moslem world can now
employ, the stream of travel to- the
temple that - builded has lost near
ly one-half of its volume since the
century opened.-N. Y. Sun.