Washington sentinel., 1898-02-19
ceeded. and we need not assure the
Mayor OF Winchester that he shall have
our entire cooperation,
PLAGUE AN D THE PILGRIMAGE TO
MECCA.
Bytkisk ALeqlcak Eonrnak.

=
The importance OF Mecca a, focus
and dissemination of cholera, b means
of Mohammedan pilgrims, by whom it
is visited annually, is thoroughly
understood, and 1t is not surprising that
all European Governments, including
Turkey, should hold strong views regard
ing the possible danger OF plague being
spread to Europe by pilgrims proceeding
to Mecca from infected areas in India.
The efforts made last year we're success
tul, but 1t must be remembered that
there is a very serious difference in the
conditions which exist this year. 1t is
that Jeddah, the port OF Mecca, was last
year an injected port. This is a subject
of importance for those concerned not
only with the pilgrimage from India,
but from every other part OF the Mo-
hammedan world. 1t is reported that
Russia has decided to maintain the
prohibition OF Mohammedan pilgrim
ages from Russian territory for the
current year; and It would seem that
this is an example which other Govern
ments- European, African and Asiatlc
would do well to follow.
In January and February, 1897, plague
in Bombay was increasing by leaps and
bounds, and question as what was to be
done regarding the pilgrims became one
Of extreme urgency. The Government
Of India were at first naturally reluctant
to stop the pilgrimage, since such
measure was certain to be regarded as
very severe by people whose religious
susceptibilities are easily aroused, Il
nee ded no little moral courage to depart
from the traditions Of non-Interference
with religious customs by which the
Indian Government has been guided so
long. The step was, however, taken,
and by an order published Ia India the
Governor General in Council prohibited
Indian Mohammedans from joining the
pilgrimage to Mecca. Such was the
alarming condition of Bombay at the
time that the Mohammedan leaders
saw the reasonableness and necessity of
the precaution, and helped the Gov
ernment IN no small degree by giving it
their loyal support.
There can be no doubt that the stop
page Of the pilgrimage from India was a
wise move, for, with the thousands that
would have embarked from Bombay aad
other Indian ports, great Infection Of
the Hadjez could hardly have been
avoided. The injection OF Jeddah,
Mecca and Medina at an early period Of
the year would have been serious
because the season was favorable to the
spread ofthe disease, while the intro.
duction Of injection at an early stage of
the gathering Of pilgrims from all parts
Of the Mohammedan world would have
supplied the requisite conditions tor the
production of Catastroph far reaching
IN its effects. Jeddah, however, became
affected with plague by means bevond
the direct control OF the Indian Govern.
ment. 1t IS believed that the plague
was introduced by Hadramuat and
Yemen merchants who trade with the
pilgrims assembled at Mecca, and who
deal in contrabaud goods brought
directly or indirectly from Bombay. 1t
was among these merchants the plague
first broke out in Jeddah. Fortunately
this outbreak did not occur until June.
when most ofthe pilgrims had departed,
| and the intense heat proved, as it has
done elsewhere, unfavOrable to the
| spread of the disease. There were only
So deaths in all, and the disease appears
to have been OF a mild attenuated type,
for is estimated that the number Of
attacks was about three times the mum
Der of deaths.
This year the Government of India
have done what they we're urged to do
last year, not only for the sake OF pre-.
venting the spread OF plague 10 Mecca,
but to prevent its extension to other
parts Of India by means Of pilgrims.
They have treated the Bombay Presi.
dency as an injected country, lsols ting
il from other parts Of India. No person
resident permanently or temporarily in
the Bombay Presidency is to be permit
ted to embark from any port in India
with the object of making a pilgrimage
to Mecca, and residents in other parts Of
India, who wish to perform the pilgrim
age, are to be subjected to certain strln-
gent conditions between the tir, of
their leaving their homes and their
embarkation. The ports which are
open to pilgrims are limited to Karachi
in Scinde and Chittagong in the lower
provinces OF Bengal. Opinions are
likely to differ as to the advisability Of
using Karachi, 50 recently the scene
of an epidemic, as a port Of embarka-
tion. We should have thought it
wiser to have given it a wide berth