The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-05-05
A PRICELESS RELIC.
THE FAMoUs1 BLACK STONE OF THE
TEMPLE or MECCA.

MOiinM II, cdnns
So carefully N tho black stone OF the
temple Of MeCca guarded, even to this
day, TINT the accounts given by different
writer's ~ to the MIXTURE and appearance
Of the black stone exhibit somo c0nsid.
cradle variations, for orthodox Musaui.
mans cannot be prevailed upon &c give
u straightforward description of II, and
mere advonturcrs, like the several llu,
ropcan hndjis (%Bnrckhnrdt, Blrton and
the others) could only crafty their in
telligent curiosity by stonIthy investi'
cations. Detection In tho net Of pursu"
ing such investigation would have cost
the travellers their lives, In pursuance
Gas Mohnmmedans supposc) OF the law
OF the prophet. Your faithful Musul'
man cannot understand thut any other
motive than worship should lead any
one to visit Mecca,
The Mohammeduns believe that this
famous stone was brought down from
heaven by angels, IL IN vet In the wall
of the Cnabn, which stands within the
great colonnado. iho stone ~ four feet
nine inches from the ground and ~
kissed and touched with grent vcner.
alton by every pilgrim TO Mecca.
Mr.. Bate mentions what intelligent
travellers have recorded concerning the
nature OF the black stone. One OF them
tells III that 10 IL undoubtedly Il lurEc
aerolite-'nn opinion which scarcely
harmonizes with its roputcd guilty OF
fioating In water, since nor0litGs usually
contain u large percentage OF heavy,
metallic matter. such az iron pyritea,
Another traveller reports that 10 looks
like u piece Of lava, continuing small
extraneous particles Of some white and
yellowish substance.
Still another Of these authorities
afflrms TINT II IL II fragment of volcanic
basnlt, s~Erinklod throughout its surface
with small, pointed, colored crystals and
varied with fclspar upon u dnrk ground,
like conl, excepting ono Of its protubcr.
anccs. which happens TO be II little red.
dish.
Others, nguin, claiming IN equal title
to exact knowledge, give IL ~ their
opinion that IL IL nothing else than an
ordinary piece Of stone from QuarriGs IN
which tho Mcccnn territory nbounds.
These lust mentioned travellers. how
ever, appear to overlook the circum
stance TINT this opinion OF theirs does
not take due cognlznnce Of TINT proper.
ty OF the stone to which We have Just
alluded and also tho circumstance that
the only kind OF stone yielded by the
Moccan qunrriea ~ u sort Of gray gran.
lite.
Not 80 difficult IL ID 60 form nm idoa
az to its size ind present appearances
In form II ~ III irregular OWL, the In.
equality Of its two longer sides impart.
ing to II Il somewhat semicircular ~.
penrance. Ii measures about o inches
In height and = In broudth, tho diane.
ter on its lower and wider side being
81 inches. The surface IL protuborant
and somewhat knobby or undulating
and has the appearance Of being coln-
posed of Il number Of smaller stones OF
different sizes nnd shapes, securely IT.
ted together with cement and perfectly
smooth.
1ts Appearance ~ az though tho orig.
inal piece Of stone had been broken To
pieces by "A violent blow and then ro-
paired. And. as a matter OF fact, this
appears to DO the true explanation Of
this irregulnlity Of the surface, for 10 IL
recorded by the Arabian historians OF
the Caaba that In the year 4l8 Of the
Hajira IN Gmissary OF Il certain Egyp.
tian khnlifn, known az ''thC Mud Khuli.
fa Huklm, shattered 10 { Yiocps by u
Of a clnb, und they relate that
after this event the pieces and even tho
dust also were carefully restored and
the fragments coinented together.
The protuborances mentioned aro ~
or 10 IN number and are such az to I'm.
part to the surface OF the stone Il mus
cular or pebbIy appearance. Near tho
there IL u hollow which reaches
to about az much ~ two inches below
the outer edge OF tho stone and ~ Of
kind TO suggest TO tho visitor the sur.
mise that n Of the protuberancos may
have been removed.
The color Of tho surface Of tho relic ~
at the present time Il deep reddish
brown, Or, az some have described IL, u
metallic black, and, Notwithstanding
the polished appearance impaired TO II
by the constant touching OF unnumher.
ID myriads Of devotees, II yet bears on
IT, undnlating surface what appear TO ,
% evident marks Of volcanic origin,
These muscular protubcrances, how
'ver, are attributed by tho Moslem an. .
TO the incosaant osculntions !
md rubbings Of the faithful, Tho !
inoothness may perhaps DO attributable /,
this cause, but the obviously fruc' :
and pebbly appearance IL not ac' !
counted for In this way,--Asiatic Guar :
y
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KAns,.nH and WIss.lu lnta 4