The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-08-26
THE PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA.
No Cnbeiiever IL Allowed TO Join Mo
Mammalian Caravan.


Mammalian Caravan.
The pilgrimage to Mecca, which oc-
ours every year in the holy month
which the Mohammedans call Rama
dam is from religious as well as
sanitary point of view, one of the prob
lems with which the civilized world
will eventually have TO deal Every
year It adds new fuel to the fanatieism
that seeks by the conquest of the in
terror Of the African continent to main
tain the slave trade. and It is a means
Of infection by which Is disseminated
that most deadly Of epidemic scourges,
the cholera The faithful in all parts
of the Mohammedan world sustain it,
and the two principal Musselman rul-
ers-the khedive OF Egypt and the
sultan of Turley-lend It countenanee
in order to maintain their authority
over their subjects and their moral
supremacy among the followers of the
prophet in general The lthedive sends
annually with imposing ceremony, a
consecated carpet and the sultan a
quantity of valuable presents, accom-
panied by magnificent eortege.
AtttSS w tht noiN tibN 10 tdStti thnh
in former times. Mecca is sixty-tive
miles from Jeddah, its port on the Red
sea. and is most easily approached by
this route. The Mohammedans of Mo-
rocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Tripoli and the
north Of Egypt go toJeddah by steamer
when they scan afford II, or find their
way TO the Red sea by caravan. Those
from the GASES Of the Sahara, from the
Soudan, or the interior of Africa, follow
generally the caravan routes to Sualsiin,
Massowah or other ports on the west
ern shore Of the Red sea, whence they
cross to Jeddah in dhows The Mo-
hammedans from India come by the
French, English or German steamers
that connect Europe With the far east,
bringing the germs Of the cholera in
their filthy garments. There are four
other principal routes besides that of
Jeddah, which are entirely overland.
These lead from Yemen, in southwest
ern Arabia, from Nejd on the Persian
Gulf, from Persia and the north of
Syria. The Persian route passes to the
north of Neid. The gifts of the sultan
start from Damascus and pass south
through Palestine into Arabia, where
the caravan has the protection Of sew
ersl subsidized tribes. 10 this caravan
are generally Joined the knris, Turks,
Albanians and Syrians. The Yemen
caravan sets out from the city Of Sana.
The pilgrims Of means travel With
camels Or horses. and go well provided
for the journey, but there are always
Ns4h 4l,.N AZ
| persons in such A state of restitution
that they are Obliged to live entirely by
aims given by their fellow travellers
with more or less willingness while
their own stores last These poor
wretches are the most fanatic believers
Even under the most favorable circum
stances their bones strew the desert for
the entire length Of the route An I'M
believer who had the audacity TO unite
himself to a caravan would be detected
and assassinated long before reaching
Mecca, unless, like Burton. he were
thoroughly acquainted with the lam
| guaq'e Of some Mohammedan country
and with Mohammedan customs and re
ligious rites When the moltitudes
brought by ali these caravans have con-
Verged at Mecca, a city badly provi-
stoned, whose water, naturally bad. is
polluted by the presence of filthy hories
! subjected to no sanitary regulations.
where the heat during the Ramadam
month is always intolerable, the misery
is indescribable and the mortality eN-
cessive even in seasons considered
healthy When the cholera prevails
*. Ii. 4.
what passes is only known to the Chris
tian world by the chance reports OF
more intelligent pilgrims which find
their way into the European papers
When all the rites and ceremonies
eNaeted Of every faithful pilgrim have
been conscentiously performed at the
holy city those who have not succumbed
to heat fatigue, or disease turn their
faces homeward, carrying with them
usually the germs OF some disasreeable
Or dangerous disorder, and invariably
in their hearts a more ferocious hatred
of the infdel In Persia this fanaticistn
finds vent in revolts directed against
the shah, who is accused of being too
favorable to the Christians in Turkey
in a general opposition to foreign in
huence, in Algeria in threatened insur-
| rections against the authority Of the
French, in the Soudan ~ the main
tenance of the Mahid, and everywhere
in Central Africa in that conquest of
J native tribes which meahs hostility to
the extension of European influence
| and the maintenance of the slave trade.
1t ison this traffic that Christianity and
/ MohammedaniSm viii have to ioin
issue. 1t is only Mohammeianism that
maintains slavery. Its etrongholds are
in Morocco and Arabia. to supply whose
haretns rippu Tip and other ira hers Of
/ Arab descent. or natives converted bV
The Mohammedan invasion, make their
razzies and decimate the negro tribes.
! This question of interest renders the
! problems arising from the relation of
| christianity to the followers Of Mohan-
nhed much more difficult of solution.
The Mecca pilgrimage bids fair to play
It's part this year as usual in spreading
| the cholera, w&lich has appeared in
violent epidemic form ia several local
4 ties In India and Central Asia Nam