The morning call., 1894-01-14

chiefs! Our great man is going to show
you the way we fight. and you must be at
tentive to the rules" He then touched his
cap to Sir Charles
Have you explained all ?" he asked.
Everything. sir" answered Richard.
a most concentrated language that
must be, said Sir Charles, riding off with
his nose in the air.
When a second campaign in MoOltan
was resolved upon Burton applied to 60 as
interpreter. A BOBBY who had passed in
Hndostani was appointed, ana Burton
was disgusted with the service. He ap-
Piled for sick leave and went home to Eng
land round the Cape, regarding his career
i'll India as failure.
As soon as he had recruited his impaired
health, Burton resolved TO put into eXecu-
ton project he mad long meditated. He
determin ed to go 10 Mecca as a pilgrim.
He cogitated upon all that might befall
him aud that was necessary as a disguise,
and mastered every detail. He, among
other things, served an appren ticeship 10
a blacksmith and learned to make shoes
and shoe his horse. Very few were let
into his secret. Leaving London as a
Persian, he lived in Cairl as a dervish,
and impersOnated the character so well
that be believed himself to be dervish.
Thus prepared, he did what Burckhardt
had failed to do. In Mecca he visited the
holiest places, and kissed the Ka'abah
black stone, which the Swiss did not see.
European vert MOslems have since visited
the holy city. but have seen little, being
excluded from the places they most COW
eted to behold.
When he started from London for Arabia
Burton was Hail Abdullah of Bushiri,
half Arab, half Iranian, with long hair
falling on his shoulders. long beard and
muStache, face and hands, arms and legs
Drowned and stained with a thin coat of
henna, Oriental dress, spear in hand and
II. l.a1N 1,
Pathan, born IN India of Afghan parents,
and be got his passport from the Afghan
College. at the outset, after leaving
Cairo. he was nearly undOne by his Mecca
boy finding seXtant among his clothes.
The adventures and stratagems of the
way were numerous. but whatever the
dangers were otherwise, Burton was never
in peril from discovery. Had be been
found out hundred spears would have
pierced his body. Mrs. Burton considers
the three volumes he wrote op the journey
the evidence OF his most remarkable eX-
plot. Ii was his intention 10 explore the
Arabian country thoroughly, and to go
with the Bedawi for a time, but events
threw this project To the winds. We can
see the kind OF man he was ia deteTmina-
ton and subtlety from this passage in his
notes at Mecca:
First, l did the decentralization at
the Haram. Early next morning l was
admitted to the house of our Lord; and
we went to the holy we'll ZemZem, the
holy wafer Of Mecca (of which Lady Bur
ton has several bot1les) and then the
ka'abah. in hich is inserted the famous
black stone, where they say prayer for
the unity of Allan. Then l performed
the seven circuits round the ka'abah,
called the tawaf ] then managed to have
way pushed through the immense crowd
TO kiss it. While kissing it and rubbing
hands and forehead upon it, | narrowly
observed 1t and came away persuaded that
1t is an aer0llte. 1t Is curious that almost
all agree upon one p0int-namely, that the
stone is volcanic. Ali Bey calls 1t miner.
alogcally a block of volcanic basali,
whose circumference is sprinkled with
little crystals, pointed and straw-lke,
with rhombs Uf tle-red felspath upon
dark ground like velvet or charcoal, eX-
cept one of its protu berances, which is
reddish 1t Is also described as lava
containing several small eXtraneous par
tlcles OF wbilish and of yell0wish sub
stance"
Ihe crucial ceremony was when, after
stonlng the devil on the great festival day,
the Ha1l was sent for. interrogated, and
ordered to be conducted round the interior
OF the Ia abah. where "a blunder, hasty
action, misJudged word, prayer or
bow, not strictly the right shibboletb, and
his bones would have whtened the sand"
But Notwithstanding this feeling, he made
notes and sketch upon his white hiram.
No wonder lie was quite exhausted when
he got home. When he had seen every
thing in Mecca be joined caravan for the
coast. and gladsome was The sight of the
sea at Jeddah. Here, at the British con-
suIate, the dragGmaDs were overheard say
ing of the Afghan caller, LET the dirty
niger wait" He presented the Consul
with bit of paper, on which was written:
Don't recognize me; | am Dick Burton,
but I am not safe yet. Give me some
money, which will be returned from Lon
don. and don't take any notice of me-" The
Consul, on the sly. however. entertained
him hospitality. After fortnight Burton
got away on an English ship, washed off
his henna. and came up from the cabin an
English gentleman-so changed that the
Turkish pilgrims did not recognize him as