New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-19
THE BLACK STONE or TSLiv
IT'S APPEARANCE AND THE VARIOUS ruyo,,..
OF IT'S ORIGIN.

OF IT'S ORIGIN
From The Asiatic Quarterly
So carefully is the black stone Of the T..
# Mecca guarded. even 20 this lay thai N. .
counts given by different writer's as 10 ne "a,
ure and appearance Of the black stone ~,
some considerable variations. for orthodox w.
sulmanS cannot De prevailed upon 10 giv
straightforward description # it. and ner, "A
venturers. like the several European y
(Burckhardt, Burton. and The otnersl could M,
crafty their intelligent curiosity by steaby
NestigatiOns. Detection IN the act Of pur,a,,
such investigation would have cost the t,,r,
lers their lives. in pursuance Cas Mahoms,,,
SUPPOSE Of the law OF the prophet Your m
ful MuSSulman cannot understand thai ,.-
other motive than worship should lead any ID.
To visit Mecca.
Mr.. Bate mentions what intelligent ,rasel-,
have recorded concerning he nature Of The bit
stone. One Of them tells US that II is unda.g
IDLY large aerOlite--an opinion which scar,
harmonizes with its reputed quality Of aoato,
in water. since aerolites usually contain h,,.
percentage Of heavy metallic matter. such
iron pyrit-s. Another traveller reports TIA,
looks like piece Of lava. c1ntainlng small y.
traneous PARTICLES Of some white and yell0r.
substance. sun another II these auth0rf-
ailirms that il is a fragment Of volcanic b..it
sprinkled throughout It's surface with .r
upon dark ground. IKE coal excepting or
It's protuberances. which happens TO be lfs
reddish Others again. claiming an elua a.
10 exact knowledge. give 10 as their opinion Isl
II L. nothing elise than AN ordinary pie
stone from qudrrieS IN which the Mclean isr.
tory abound- Thes" aforementioned tray,ls
however. appear % overlook The circums.8r.
that this opinion of theirs do-s not TAKE %,
cognzarce of that property OF the tone O. gta
SO have just alluded ana also th- .ircuns'a.,
that the only kind 0f stone yielded by the N-.
can quarri's is a sort Of gray granite
Not 80 difficult is IL to form an idea A. % s
size and present appearance In form il j. an l.
regular oval. the inequality Of It's Two 0l.g
sides imparting 10 10 somewhat semicircac
appearance. 1t measures about xix inches
height and eight in breadth, the diameter on t
lower and wider side being eight inches ami 3
half. The surface IT, prOUberant and somewhat
knobby or unduatng. and has the appearano
Of being composed Of "A ma uber II smaller st0n,s
Of different sizes and shapes securely fitted b.
gcther with cement and perfectly smooth Ia
appearance L. A. though the original piece
stone Fad been broken 10 pieces By a v.llal.
blow and then repaired And as matter =
TACT. this appears 90 Do the true explanation
this lrreguldritN Of the surface. FOR il Is r.
corded by tn, Arabian historians IF the IA
that in the year tl3 ~ she Hajira an eniss.T
Of certain Egyptian khaifa known as 'r
mad khalifa Hikim.' shattered ii 10 pieces
str0k, Of "A club. and they relate that lHs
this event the pieces. and even the dust is
were carefully restored. and the fragments
mcnted together
The protuberances mentioned are tNey. p
fifteen I'm number. and are such A. u impar
the surface IF the stone "A muscular or Deaf
appearance. Near the middl, there is ho.
which reaches t. about as much as two incli
below the outer edge of the stone and j.
% Ill ia nt. he 7