The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-26
From the Philadelphia Times.

nOW tn6 ldIlHk ACCOu-
panied a Mussulmen Caravan to
Mecca.
From the Philadelphia Times.
Sir Richard Burton, traveller, inguist,
Orientalist, was the Humboldt of the past
generation. His recent death created
scarcely any stir in the world that lionized
him thirty years ago. The later years of
bis life, passed in obscurity and poverty,
contrast strangely with the brilliance of
Stsnley's career during the past decade.
Many OF his achievements for daring
and logged perseverance were equal
of Stanley. His most noteworthy ac-
complishment was his famous pill
grimage 10 the holy cities of Medina and
Mecca, one of the most brilliant romances
ever enacted. The expedition was fraught
with the deadliest peril, for the Moham-
medans consider nothing more Decorating
than the gaze of infidel eyes upon the holy
raaba at Mecca and the grave of the prophet
at Medina. Had Burtons true character
been discovered he would have been SUD-
jected to instant death. The attempt to
make the pilgrimage had been made four
times since the sixteenth century by Euro
pean travellers, but with scarcely any de-
gree of success.
Burton emit to Cairo early in 1858, where
great preparations were being made for the
annual pilgrimage. He wss of splendid ply
siQue, full of tact and caution. He assumed
the character and costume of a dervish, but
after a short residence at Cairo he decided
to give up the dervish's gown, pantaloons
and SHIRT, and to represent himself as an
Indian physician. His naturally swarthy
complexion and full black beard assisted
him greatly in his disguise.
OF three routes from Cairo to Mecca he
chose the one by sea from SueZ, and having
hired his dromedaries and thoroughly
equipped himself as one of the faithful he
took MS place in the caravan and set out.
Ga his arrival at Suez, together with hun
dreds of other pilgrims, he took passage
down the sea to Yambu el Behr (''Gate of
the Holy City,, the port nearest to Medina,
the first point of his desires. He was
HELD IN THE GREATEST vENERATIoN
by his fellow travellers, who, with all their
well-known keenness failed to penetrate
his disguise. One incsdent, at the start,
proves how strongly he had Impressed his
fellow pilgrims. His body servant. No
hammedan, in overhauling one OF Burton's
chests, had discovered a sextant of Eaglsh
make. This discovery he revealed to some
of the dignitaries of the pilgrimage Al
though usually SO suspicious, taey refused
to see any cause for alarm, swore among
themselves that the light of Ell Islam was
on Burton's counteuance, and united in
calling the boy pauper, q fakir, an owl,
a cutoff one, a stranger, a Wahabi, and
sending him to the devil in general
The passage from Seuz to Yambu was
eventful for stop which was made at
Moses hot baths, the place to which the
Mohammedans credit the miraculous bring
ing of water from the rock. Here Burton
came near reversing himself. A great
boulder, with four large indentaJions,
which the Mohammedans believe are the
marks Of Moses finger nails. was surrounded
by areverend crowd of the faithful. Burton,
unknowingly, walked UP to the rock and
examined it closely, passing his hands over
it. Instantly there was howl of rage and
indignation. Burtol Immediately under
stood that it was sacrilegious to touch the
stone. Hastily picking up a little green
lizard, that reposed in one Of the crevices,
he turned to the pilgrims, and, holding up
the reptile before their eyes, cried out in
Arabic:
90, SONS of the prophet and the chosen of
Allah, could 1 stand by and see this vile
thing leave its trail on the sacred stone that
has BEEN pressed by the holy fingers of our
ancsstorW
His presence of mind saved him, and they
applauded him with cries of, The prophet
protect thee, o sun of the sum-"
At Yanbu Burton hired four camels,
and, after a few days rest. during which he
changed his dress for that of an Arab, be
set out with a grain caravan for the Holy
City.
The caravan consisted of 200 camels,
travelling in Indian file, bead tied TO tail.
Certain of Burton's manners and modes OF
speech excited first the curiosity and then
the suspicion of his fellows, aud a hundred
times his immediate companions and SER
wants were on the point of denouncing
him But he soon distinguisl ed himself for
bravery and generalshlp in the frequent
encounters with the Bedouin robbers of the
desert, and it was not long before his powers
of persuasion and his seeming reverence
had overcome all their suspicious. The
pilgrimage had not been out ten days before
he was accorded a position scarcely inferior
to that of the grand pasha of the caravan
On one occasion he used a very clever
strategy to ward off the rapacity of the
thieves. The caravan had just come to &
halt one morning. when the Bedouins swept
down upon the camp, completely terrorizine
il.
AS THEIR THIEvING WORK WAS GOING ON
without any opposition, their mum aers
being overpowering, the Sheik Abdullah-
the name by which Burton was known
walked into their midsJ and called out: