Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-10-31

his constitution was undermined, and he
eventually died In q London hospital on
March 14th, 1875. Had BIcknell lived to
relate his story he would have gone down
in history as the great Meccan pilgrim.
But as Bicknells pilgrimage has never ap-
peared in literature, and the accounts of
those of Bartema, the italian gentleman.
and of Pitts, the English slave boy, are
devoid of literary merit, We have only the
narratives of three English Meccan pill
grims before us-John Lewis Burckhsrdt.
who travelled as Sheik Ibraheem; Captain
Richard F. Burton, who was known ss
Sheik Abdullsb and T. F. Kesne, who as
sumed the name of Mohsmmed Ameen. 1
speak of Burckhardt as an English pilgrim
although he was a native of Switzerland,
because he travelled under the auspices of
an English society, the association for
promoting the discovery of the Interior of
Africa, and his "Travels In Arsbis," as
well as his other works, were published In
English. Burckhsrdt was a careful and
accurate scholar, who had resided In Egypt
and travelled in Africa some years before
he ventured en- the Meccan pilgrimage
When he arrived at the Arab seaport of
Jedda on the 18th of July, 1914, he had
not fully resolved to extend his travels
into Arabs; and upon his arrival he was
seized with q fever common to the Arabian
covered he sought the temperate climate of
Tsyif, which is some FIVE days march from
Jedds, on the road to Meccs, and his prox
unity to the sacred city suggested to him
the possibility of making the pilgrimage.
He, at the first, intended to assume the
disguise of a Moslem beggsr; but poverty
In the east, even as 1t is in this great COM
mercisl west, is not a favorable passport.
1t was as reduced Egyptian gentleman
that Burckhsrdt performed the pilgrimage
Captain Richard Burton, who had been
an officer In the native army of India, left
London on April 81, 1858, and landed at
Alexandria, with the determination of psr-
forming the hazardous Journey which had
been undertaken by the great SEiss trsv-
eler thirty nine years bsfore. Like Burck.
dsrdt, it was his intention to make the
pilgrimage as q dervish, or, as Lady Bur-
ton puts IL, ''as a chartered vsgsbond 4"
whom nobody asks whencs he comes or
where he goes, and who can travel on foot
or on horseback, just as he plessss But
Burton's fsvorite character, and that which
suited him best, WAS that of half Arab
and half Irsnian, such as thropg the north
ern shores of the Persian gulf, with his
long hair falling on his shoulders, and long
beard; with face aud hands, arms and legs
brosned aud stained with henns, and clad
Al cpEaE lll manu- au4 Ele-
tolls in belt. Ii was thus thst Richard
Burton became MIRA Abdullah AL Bush
iri," or to pat In plain English, "ths ex-
allied eervant of God, a dwrller of Bush
ire"
T. F. Kesne had been an officer on one
of the Anglo-Indisn steamers. He trav-
eled ss q converted EaSlishmso. The
Arabs, Mr. Kesne tells rs, are go used to
lying and deceit, that when be truthfully
stated he was merely mate on 3 British
steamer, his Arabian friends solemnly de-
clared he was a captsin! This venture
some traveller, unlike Burckhardt, Blck-
nell and Burton. made the pilgrimage with
little or no special training, snd his boob,
"Six Months In Hscnsb," bears evident
traces of his thorough ignorance of the
Mohsmmedan religion. These mistakes In
his book while they exhibit Mr.. kesue's
ignorance as an Oriental scholar, testify,
more than any ythiDg else possibly could, to
his consummste bravery; for it is very ev-
ident that he must have performed this
exceedingly perilOus journey under oondi-
tions singulsriy unfsvorable to success.
1t may be safely said that If Mr.. Keane
could perform the pilgrimage to Mecca IN
der the disguise of converted EBglish-
man." there can be no reason why any per
son of ordinary intelligence, and Of some
experience In travel, should not undertake
the journey. There Is now no reason why
America should not have its first Meccsn
pilgrimage in the person OF Mr. Mohsm-
med Webb, who when he has performed
the pilgrimage, can sdd to his name the
distinguished sppellation of Hsjii. Mr..
Kesne visited Mecca during the pilgrimage
season of 1878 8. He attached himself to
the train of young Mohsmmedau gentle
| man from India. and wRs one of vast
throng of 42. 7lS pilgrims who landed 81
Jedds