The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-08-27
THE PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA.
No unbellevor Is Allowed to Join Mo-
hnmmednn Caravan,


hammednn Caravan.
The pilgrimage to Mecca, which oc-
.urs every year in the holy month
which the Mohammedans call Rama
lam is, from religious as well as a
sanitary point of view, one of the prob
lens with which the civilized world
will eventually have to deal. Every
year it adds new fuel to the fanaticism
that seeks by the conquest of the in.
terror of the African continent to main
tain the slave trade, and It is 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 il,
and the two principal Musselman rul.
ers-the khcdive of Egypt and the
sultan of Turley-lend it countenance
In order to maintain their authority
over their subjects and their moral
supremacy among the followers of the
prophet in general. The khedive sends
annually with imposing ceremony, a
consecrated carpet, and the sultan
quantity of valuable presents, accom-
panied by magnificent cortege.
Access to the holy city is easier than
in former times Mecca is sixty-five
miles from Jeddah, it's 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 to Jeddah by steamer
when they can afford it, or find their
way to the Red sea by caravan. Those
from the oases of the Sahara. from the
Soudan, or the interior of Africa, follow
generally the caravan routes to SualSim
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 Neid on the Persian
Gulf, from Persia and the north OF
Syria. The Persian route passes to the
north of Nejd. The gifts of the sultan
start from Damascus and pass south
through Palestine into Arabia, where
the caravan has the protection of sew.
eral subsidized tribes. To this caravan
are generally joined the Kurds, Turks
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
with the caravans a great number of
persons in such q state of destitution
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 un-
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
guage of some Mohammedan country.
and with Mohammedan customs and re-
Hgious rites. When the multitudes
brought by all these caravans have con-
verged at Mecca, city badly provi-
stoned, whose water, naturally bad, is
polluted by the presence of filthy hordes
subjected to no sanitary regulations,
where the heat during the Ramadam
month is always intolerable, the misery
is indescribable and the mortality ex-
cessive even in seasons considered
healthy. When the cholera prevails
Mecca is simply charnel house, and
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
eXacted of every faithful pilgrim have
been conscientiously 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 disagreeable
or dangerous disorder, and invariably
in their hearts more ferocious hatred
of the intdel. In Persia this fanaticism
finds vent in revolts directed against
the Shah, who is accused of being too
favorable to the Christians, in Turkey
in general opposition to foreign in
huence, in Algeria in threatened insur-
rections against the authority of the
French, in the Soudan in the main
tenance of the Mahid, and everywhere
in Central Africa in that conquest of
native tribes which means hostility to
the extension of European influence
and the maintenance of the slave trade
1t is on this traffic that Christianity and
Mohammedanism will have to Join
issue. 1t is only Mohammedanism that
maintains slavery. Its strongholds are
in Morocco and Arabia, to supply whose
harems Tippu Tip and other traders of
Arab descent, or natives converted by
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 Moham-
med much more difficult of solution.
The Mecca pilgrimage bids fair to play
its part this year as usual in spreading
the cholera, which has appeared in
violent epidemic form in several locali-
ties in India and Central Asia.-San
Francisco Chronicle.
Temperature of the Brain.
Some interesting experiments have
lately been made by Prot Angelo Mosso
of Turin, on the temperature of the
brain. 1t is a common observation that
during prolonged mental exercise or
excitement the head becomes hotter,
nut prof MOSco hoe nr,Dlio1 ,,o,,,, al;