The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-02-07

real confusion OF tongues belongs to Mecca.
There were hundred thousand strangers
in the city and, Judging by the ear, ten
times as many tongues and dialects. There
were faces Of every Imaginable hue and
shape from every known cline, and co.,
tunes that only u mad tailor could realize
in delirious visions of the night The elect
of the believers were there from Turkey
and Greece, from Syria and Barbary and
Timbuctoo, from Egypt, Palestine and the
dark heart of Africa. from Persia and the
regions of the Indus, from iIindoostan, Ma
lacca and the Asiatic isles and from many
fer separated places besides, gathered at
incalculuble cost and indescrbable trouble
and discomfort to worship according to
the doctrines of Islam.
Yet the tnnult was certainly not such as
one associates with acts of religion. Men
using the language of troopers in rage
were hauling wildly at apathetic camels
that appeared to have an insuperable bias
in favor of standing still, and frantically
endeavGring 0 stun them in holes and cor
hers that could not possibly accommodate
anything larger than cat; horses We're
rearing and backing and dancing; ladies
were screaming in fear Of having their lit
ters upset and their sacred beauty exposed
to the public gaze; householders and visit
ors wranglcd and Resticulated about the
value of ladgings, aud over all were mil
lion ear splitting cries that seemed to rise
ont of the very earth.
We did not q little ourselves to add to
the din and confusion for We had Il goodly
number OF beasts to dispose of and voluble
tongues in our heads to argue against the
obstnacy Of man and brute. 1t took sew
eral hours of arduous pulling and pushing
nd ifpr n tot MN
belongings housed, hut the enterprise was
at length accomplished just as the sun, the
only street lamp at Mecca, was dropping
out OF sight. Then having dined sumptu-
Ously on roast fowl, eggs, bread and coffee
rare dclicacies after the hard fare OF the
desert-we lay down to dream OF the great
things that were before us.
Anxious to show ourselves patterns Of
picty and strlctncss, Tabal and assumed
the ihram which il the special mark Of de
veutneSs. 1t consists of two pieces of linen
cloth. one of which is wrapped about the
lons like n highland kilt and the other
thrown over the upper part of the body in
such Il way as to leave the right arm un-
covered Asno other garment, not even so
much rs n covering for the head, is permit
ted while it is worn, it makes an airy dress
especially in the evening and at early morn
ing, when the Mecca air is often as shrewd
aS that of Edinburgh.
Thus we visited with our companions the
beitullah or temple, an imposing building
with more gates and minarets and courts
and domes and marble, granite and por
phyry pillars than | had time to count
Rance we were Obliged to leave in the porch
with great crowd Of her bwn sex, for the
MCslem will allow no woman, however
beautiful or piOuS or exalted, to set foot in
his temple. Thus the MUhammedan ladies,
less fortunate than their Christian sisters.
are denied the privilege of displaying the
latest fashions iu church.
Inside the pavements We're full of men IN
every posture of rapt devotion, some Sneel.
ing, some sitting with bent heads, other.
prUstrate on the floor AT sight Of thest
we stopped for one minute, bowing low
theu with solemn, measured step, we ad
vanced five ab's asst upon the kaaha, keep
ing our eyes fast upon il. On reaching il
We stopped again, but only for an instant
Proceeding at the same pace rs before W,
went round il seven times recitng in a low
voice certain prescribed verses from the
Koran, only we interrupted ourselves al
each round to kiss the black stone which
as all believed, was brought direct iron
heaven by the angel Gabriel.
the black stone we turned to the zcmAem-
that is to say, the holy we'll which God
miraeulously created for the outcast Hagai
and her son, the father OF the children o
the desert. We drank OF its waters ant
washed in them for the benefit OF succeed
ing hadiisl, but there was one pilgrim at
leOst who would have taken draft
oil epson salts with more relish. The zem
zem may be good to wash in but it il not
coed to drink from, Il fact which the Arab
themselves tacitly acknowledge by refrain
ing from partakiug of its waters oftcnci
than once year
Purified Of our sins, we returned to the
pay ement already mentioned, and ther,
went down in groups and said our prayers
Then slowly retracing our steps we passed
through a great door, and To- we were in tn,
midst of the fair again. Rance, who wa,
waiting for US, ran to me clasping hei
hands in ecstasy.
Vow, verify thou nrt one of us in spite
of thy English face" she said, freezing tho
blood in my veins
For Gods sake, hushtp l whispered
hastily. Not a syllable, as thou lowest
me-
She looked hurt, but said no more, and /
glanced fearfully round, half expecting to
see a dagger coming at me- But luckily
the hubbub had drowned her speech.
The remaining rites were performed with
dcmOnstfative zeal aud JUNCTION, the most
trifting detail being done strictly according
to the letter of the law We went tc
Mount Arafat to hear the sermons with q
throng TINT laughed and jested, batting each
other with the toughest of wit and sarcasm
and read the Koran and prayed aloud and
sang snatehes OF love songs all in the same
breath. All night, in a blaze of ineifable
brillianey, we mnde merry at the foot OF
the mountain -pashas and sheiks and chiefs
and governors and PRIEST and camel drivers
and beggars and stray Bedouins great men
and small, learned and ignorant niugllng
like brothers, for all men are equal during
the hail.
AT noon the next day we aseended the
mountain to listen to a sermon, which lust.
ed without a break or halt till sunset. Ther
we hurried elsewhere to hear one that lasted
till sunrise. Having reycrently and pa
tiently heard the preachers, we went to the
valley Of Melna, where we sacrificed multi
tudes of sheep and fowls, and cast 81 stones
apiece at the devil, and pared our nails
and had or heads shaved by BARRIERS, who
took most of the skin as well as the hair
All these things done devoutly and thor.
oGghly. we returned to Mecca, and after
paying another visit to the mosque threw
off the hiram with great rejoicing Our
fasting and praying were al an end, and We
were free to eat, drink and be merry after
the manner OF our own hearts.
After the religious ceremonies comes "a
great fair which lasts three days and is at
tended by pilgrims and traders from the
ends of the earth and by many who neither
trade nor worship in the mosque. The scene
is picturesque and animated, for the gran
dees spread gorgeous tents and Mo,lem trad
ers drive bargains with unequaled energy
of voice and gesture. To many the fair is
much more than the ceremonies at the
kaaba or Mount Arafat
On the second day Of the fair, well toward
evening Tabal and were strolling at our
leisure, having nothing particular to do bni
enjoy the sights and the cool air We were
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