Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-04-18
HOW 10 GET 10 MECCA.
Not Healthy Place for European to
VISIT IL He should be Detected.

The number of devout visitors to
Mecca has greatly fallen off since the
memorable year of 1873, when 100000
pilgrims foeked to the holy city from
all parts of the Mohammedan world,
says the New York san. During the
past season, according to the British
consul at Jeddah, 46,020 devotees
kissed the famous black stone in the
Kaaba. In other words, Mecca enter
tanned 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. Doctor
Hurgronje, Of Holland, has just pub
lished tue story of his six months ex-
periences in Mecca in 1885, when he
lived there in the guise OF Mohamme-
dan Etfendi, not only during the pill
grim season, but also for two months
thereafter, when the Meccans, fatten-
ing on the spoils OF the pilgrims, for
get to be aYaricious, and become
humane and sociable All Mecca
lives on the pilgrims, and everybody
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
disguise is comparatively easy on ac-
count of tho Babel of languages and
the vast and varied multitudes. With
fat pocket-book and familiarity with
Mohammedan prayers and ceremonies,
the stranger can then with little
difficulty 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 inidel with the greatest
pleasure if they fathomed his secret.
Doctor Hurgronjes real character was
exposed by a thoughtless Frenehman
at Jeddah, and the intruder barely es-
capped 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 sulferings attend these vast
excursions to the holy city. Woe be
10 Iut pllpllll, MS plOuS Ltdt cNtbsu-
this ing his discretion, who undertakes
long journey with meagre resources.
The sheiks of Mecca have each from
twenty to thirty agents, whose voca-
ton resemble that of New York
hotel runners in the old days. and
whose devices for tightening the pill
grim purse are ingenious and mani
fold. At the goal of all his hopes he
finds the poorest crus exorbitantly dear
and charity all but unknown. Burton
saw many half-starved pilgrims, "with
death depicted in their faces, and il is
no uncommon sight to see the devotees
drop in their tracks and die almost un-
noticed upon the highway.
1t is probable that the greed and
callousness of the spendthrift Meccans,
who disburse so layishly the money
they easily win, has considerably inn
paired the productiyeuess 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 Abraham builded has lost
nearly one-half of its volume since the
century