The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-11-27
BURTON'S PILGRI MAGE.
THE oRIENTALIsT,S EvENTFUL
RIDE TO MECCA.
The Daring Engllshman Accompanied Mussul.
man Caravan to the Holy City and Gazed
Upon Mohammedan sanctuaries
at the Risk Of His Life.

ing ulSG, OrlentatlSt was the Hum
boldt OF the past generation. His re-
cent death created scarcely any stir in
q world that lionized him thirty years
ago. His most noteworthy accomplish
ment was his famous pilgrimage to 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
Mohammedans consider nothing more
DESIGNATING than the gaze of infdel
eyes upon the Holy Kaaba at Mecca
and the grave ofthe Prophet at Medina.
Had Burton's true character been dis
covered he would have been subjects
to instant death.
Burton went to Cairo early in 1858,
where great preparations were being
made for the annual pilgrimage: He
assumed the character and costume of
dervish, but after a short residence
at Cairo he decided to give up the der
vlsh's gown, pantaloons and shirt, and
to represent himself as an Indian
physician. His naturally swarthy
complexion and full black beard assist
ed him greatly in his disguise.
vi the three routes from Cairo to
Mecca he chose the one by sea from
Suez, and having hired his dromedar-
les and thoroughly equipped himself as
one OF the faithful he took his place
in the caravan and set out. He was
held in the greatest veneration by his
lelioW-travelers, who, with all their
well-known keenness, failed to pene-
trate his disguise.
The passage from Suez to Yambu
was eventfui for stop which was
made at Moses hot baths, the place to
which the Mohammedans credit the
miraculous bringing of water from the
rock. Here Burton came near reveal
ing himself. A great boulder, with
four large lamentations, which the
Mohammedans believe are the marks
OF Moses finger nails, was surrounded
by a reverent crowd of the faithful.
Burton uni knowingly walked up to the
rock and examined it closely, passi g
his hands over it. Instantly there
was q howl of rage and Indignation.
Burton Immediately understood that
it was sacrilegious to touch the stone.
Hastily picking up little green lizard
that reposed in one of the crevices, he
turned to the pilgrims and, holding up
the reptile before their ewes, cried
out in Arabic:
80, sons OF the Prophet ard the
chosen of Allah, could [ stand bv and
see this vile thing leave its trail on the
sacred stone that has been pressed by
the holy fingers of our uncestor?'
| His presence Of mind saved him,
and they applauded him with cries of
The Prophet project thee, o son of
the sun!''
At Ya1nbu Burton hired four ,mels
and, after a few days rest, during
which he changed his dress for that of
an Arab, he set out with grain cara
van for the Holy City.
The caravan consisted of two hum
dred camels, travelling in Indian file,
head tied to tail. Certain of Burton's
manners and modes of speech excited
first the curiosity and then the sus-
picion of his fellows, and q hund red
| times his immediate companions and
servants were On the point of denounc-
ing him. But he soon distinguished
himself for bravery and generalship
in the frequent encounters with the
Bedouin robbers of the desert, and It
was not long before his powers of per-
suasion 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.
At last, after a journey of great diff
ficulty and danger, the party came
within view of the white Mosques of
Medina, and feasting their eyes with
gaze at the Holy City, the whole
caravan joined in prayer
A1AAO1h 1ADuullClu, dllSr D0rIOcmlnO
the required additions, and dressed in
white clothes, the favorite color of the
prophet started on his holy erraud at
the mosque Here his ignorance of a
very small matter nearly caused his
death. At the door Of the mosque he
removed his sandals, but instead of
putting his right foot forward upon
crossing the threshold, he unknowing-
ly stepped in with his left foot One
of the faithful, who was close behind
him, noticed the action, which is con-
sidered gross sacrilege, and drawing
a knife from underneath his shroud
walked after the Englishman. But
the Sheik Abdullah had already fallen
on his knees and in a seeming rapture
was reciting the 109th and 10th chap
ters of the Koran I'll
Tho Mussulman, treasured, retired.
The Damascus caravan arrived at
Medina a few days later, and thou
sands of pilgrims. camels, horses,
soldiers and nondescripts filled the