The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-08-03
The MECCA PILGRIMAGE.
Ceremony of the M"hm"
at Cairo,

at Cairo,
| got up early this morning to see the
ceremony of the Mammal. writes caro-
correspondent Of the London lines
Batween six and seven hundred years
AGO n granddaughter by marriage OF
Saladin. seized the throne of Egypt and
performed the pilgrimage to Mecca III
covered litter. of which the Mammal Is
still a approximation. The ceremony
denotes the public departure OF the pii
grims for Cairo in performance OF one
of the fonr sacred duties OF every goOd
Moslem. The Mammal contains nothing.
not even the sacred covering OF the
Caaba sent annually by the hhe-
dive. but il is regarded as a
symbol. the outward and visible siSn
of the pilgrimage, aud 1t Is conveyed
annually with much pomp and ceIe
Imony overland 10 Mecca. 1t USED to.oe
regarded with intense reverence by the
people, and fifteen years ago l saw
thousands struggling TO touch the irlnge
of its covering. 1t starts from the
Madam below the citadel. The open
space was one vast crowd OF troops ana
people. Bands played. cannon hTed.
The natives chartered and joked, and oil
WAS very CAV in the early morning sun
shine. The Khedive himself is in Alex
andria. but all the ministers came one
by one to the Viceregal Kosque below
the citadel Wit them there assembled
all the military and civil authorities OF
Egypt, quite dazzling III Their oihclal
garments and the decorations when
been showered on all who have dwelt
on the banks of the Nile durlng the lasl
few years. Last Of all came Raj Pdsha
the Prime Minister. as the representa-
tive of the Khedive, bearing all the or
ders that Turkey and Egypt can be-
stow. But he did not wear. his X. e.
Nj. G.. on this great Mussuiman oc'a-
sion. The Grand Cadi, white-beaded.
purplerobed, the Sheikhs OF the va
rious orders of dervIshes. were there al
ready. Then the Mammal came wob-
bling along. borne 10y the finest and
most splendidiy caparisoned camel
Egypt can produce 1t Is huge box
with nigh. pyramidal top, all
covered with a cloth VI gold, on which
pretty well the whole Koran Is en-
broidered. Fourteen camels followed
i'm equal splendor, with holy men
astride of them dressed in green tur-
bans and vast cashmere shawls, playing
on pipes, beating huge ke tie. drums.
or blessing the pilgrimage. The Mahmal
made the round Of the Madam three
times amid much music, and finally
stopped in trout of RiaZ Pasha, who had
come to the foot of the steps OF the
Mosque. Twenty-one guns Numbered
from the citadel just above US, whilst
the Prime Minister spoke. with
the Emir ell Hagg. Then Riaz, taking
hold of the fringe OF the covering
handed 1t to the Emlr. and thus symbol
ically placed the pilgrimage IN his
charge. Then the Mammal wobbled on
and all its attendant camels Next came
the Egyptian Army, each officer salut-
ing the Prime Minister. Each regiment
had its band, and the choice of music |
varied strangely, merry Scoth tunes
mingiing with the plaintive airs OF old |
Egypt. But this was no more strange |
than TO see smart young English officers
keeping the slouching Egyptian soldiers
up 10 the mark, or Colonel Kitchener,
the acting Sirdar, standing by the side
OF the Egyptian Prime Minister and
sharing the honours Of the salute.
The British army Of occupation,
with their OmmaDder-in-chief, OF
course, did not attend. saw
them, by the way, to-day-or, at any
rate. considerable contingent of them
outside their barracks playing foot
ball and cricket in all the Egyptian July
heat, with vigor that had attracted a
large concourse Of amazed natives. But
this Mammal ceremony was specially
Egyptian. Cavalry: infantry, camel
corps, and mountain battery all went
past, aud then, amid more deafening
salutes, Riaz Pasha, his colleagues, and
all the lesser magnates drove away
through the mass OF natives, who COW
cred ground. walls. roofs, minarets,
everywhere with their bright colors
and eager faces. The Egyptian dearly
loves fantaseeyah, as he calls it.
/ next went of to the heart of the
town TO see the Mammal procession once
more. The dense crowd continued
Everywhere. The whole population of
Cairo loearly 400,600) must have been
out in the streets. But the procession ,
even in the town was not what il used
10 b. before the English came. The 1
dervishes Of the black turbans, the {
dervishes Of the green tuTbans. the {
dervishes OF the white turbans, the 1
deryishes Of the fishing nets, the men 1